Many people didn’t understand why the Minnesota Vikings released Dalvin Cook last summer.
Cook was one of the greatest running backs in franchise history. He was one of two running backs, alongside the already legendary Adrian Peterson, to post 1,100 yards in three consecutive seasons. He was a locker room leader and an anchor of the offense.
Many believed that losing him was a big blow, but the Vikings had a succession plan in mind. They would re-sign Alexander Mattison and draft DeWayne McBride. With Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu chipping in, they would have a running game based on efficiency instead of explosiveness and open up more options for Kevin O’Connell as a playcaller.
The thought was great in theory, but the execution just hasn’t been there.
The Vikings enter Week 10 tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots for the sixth-worst rushing attack in the NFL with 3.7 yards per attempt. Only the Denver Broncos have fewer rushing touchdowns than the Vikings this season — that would be one and two, respectively. And an injury to Cam Akers leaves the running game paper-thin heading into the second half of the season.
The trade deadline has passed, and there is a shallow free-agent pool, so there aren’t many ways to solve the problem this season. But newly-acquired quarterback Josh Dobbs can do serious damage with his legs. And his mobility could help solve Minnesota’s ground game and give them an element they haven’t had in decades.
It starts with the Vikings’ issues with the running game.
Mattison was expected to be the front-runner in this committee, but the supporting pieces never materialized during training camp. McBride never found his footing, and Chandler hasn’t been able to get on the field. Nwangwu was second on the depth chart throughout the offseason but missed all of training camp with a back injury. That left Mattison as the bell cow in the backfield.
It’s hard to believe that the Vikings had this in mind when they brought Mattison back. With Cook the starter one year ago, Mattison logged a career-low 74 carries in 2022 and produced a modest 3.8 yards per carry.
Those numbers weren’t great, but Mattison’s success rate was the same as Cook’s at 47.3%. Pro Football Reference defines success rate as picking up at least 40% of yards on first down, 60% of yards on second down, and 100% of yards on third or fourth down.