The attention has been on Vikings running back Dalvin Cook in 2019, and for good reason considering he’s second in the NFL in rushing yards through five weeks.
But Cook’s backup, Alexander Mattison, has been solid as well. The 2019 third-round pick has 189 rushing yards and is averaging 5.6 runs per attempt, just 0.3 behind Cook.
“He goes out there and he performs,” Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski said Thursday. “There’s not much of a drop off from one to two, which is a really good thing for us, and we’re looking to get him some work. He provides a similar but different running style than Dalvin (Cook), so I think that’s always good when you’re attacking a defense to give them a slightly different look. But he’s a young player that I think is only going to get better, and I applaud his effort and how he prepares.”
When the Vikings lost Latavius Murray to the Saints in free agency, there was some fear that the Vikings would need some help at RB2. With Mattison’s emergence, though, the Vikings haven’t missed a beat in that aspect.
Hats off to the scouting department for finding what appears to be a hidden gem.
