There’s been a lot of talk of the success of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to start the 2019 NFL season, and rightfully so considering he leads the NFL in rushing yards.
But there should also be some discussion about how good Cook’s backup has been. Rookie Alexander Mattison has ran 25 times through three games for 132 yards (5.3 yards per carry). He ran in his first rushing touchdown on this athletic (and kind of dangerous) hurdle into the endzone in Sunday’s win over the Raiders.
Mattison has filled Latavius Murray’s role in the offense quite well, despite the majority of people thinking the Vikings reached for Mattison in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He ranks third among rookies in rushing yards and first in yards per carry for players with 20 or more rushing attempts.
The hope for the Vikings is that they can keep this one-two punch going, but Cook’s health has been a problem in the past. If the Vikings need to turn to Mattison, they should feel optimistic about it.
