After two weeks of football action, running back Alexander Mattison has made Minnesota Vikings fans miss Dalvin Cook even more.
While he has one touchdown catch on 21 receiving yards, Mattison only has 62 rushing yards in two games.
Conversely, quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson are off to great starts in 2023.
ESPN’s Vikings beat writer Kevin Seifert has put Mattison’s production into perspective with his latest tweet.
Seifert tweeted, “For those of you interested in objectively analyzing Alexander Mattison’s first 2 games as the Vikings’ starter: You should know he is averaging 0.95 yards before contact on his 19 carries. That’s No. 43 in NFL. League average is 2.17 YBC. Not a lot of daylight.”
For those of you interested in objectively analyzing Alexander Mattison's first 2 games as the Vikings' starter: You should know he is averaging 0.95 yards before contact on his 19 carries. That's No. 43 in NFL. League average is 2.17 YBC. Not a lot of daylight.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 15, 2023
While Mattison should take a lot of the blame for the league’s worst rushing attack this season, Minnesota’s offensive line has been depleted.
In their Week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, left tackle Olisaemeka Udoh left the game for what turned out to be a season-ending quadriceps injury.
With Christian Darrisaw also dealing with an ankle injury, David Quessenberry saw action against a strong Philadelphia defensive line.
Center Garrett Bradbury and right guard Chris Reed were also declared out for Week 2.
Having a healthy offensive line is crucial for any running back in the league.
Otherwise, they are forced to abandon the running game and become a one-dimensional offense.
NEXT: Justin Jefferson Joins NFL Legend With Latest Milestone