The Running Game

@"pattersaur" said: It sucks. We have 69 rushing yards in 2 games.

Mattison looks bad in all facets but we have nowhere to turn, and our suspect OL is already banged up badly.

Yes we’ve faced two good running defenses but does anyone have any ideas how we can fix this? TOP killed us last night and as the season wears on this will only become more problematic if we can’t sustain long drives.

I’m at a loss and would love to hear some suggestions on what the team can do in this area. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"pattersaur" said: It sucks. We have 69 rushing yards in 2 games.

Mattison looks bad in all facets but we have nowhere to turn, and our suspect OL is already banged up badly.

Yes we’ve faced two good running defenses but does anyone have any ideas how we can fix this? TOP killed us last night and as the season wears on this will only become more problematic if we can’t sustain long drives.

I’m at a loss and would love to hear some suggestions on what the team can do in this area. 

fix the OLine.  

@"pattersaur" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"pattersaur" said: It sucks. We have 69 rushing yards in 2 games.

Mattison looks bad in all facets but we have nowhere to turn, and our suspect OL is already banged up badly.

Yes we’ve faced two good running defenses but does anyone have any ideas how we can fix this? TOP killed us last night and as the season wears on this will only become more problematic if we can’t sustain long drives.

I’m at a loss and would love to hear some suggestions on what the team can do in this area. 

fix the OLine.  

Sure in the future, but I’m talking this season.

Just like last year, most run plays the OL was beaten, but there were several times where Mattison had a nice hole and it looked like it would be a nice gain and he somehow only ended up with 4 yards, those were plays that Cook would have busted and would change the game.  There was always the narrative with Cook that most of his yards were on a few plays, but those few plays were the difference in winning and losing a game. 
Mattison is just too slow to get through the hole, Chandler as well, I think Gaskins actually may be the best fit for their offense.  

Vikings run game isn't as bad as their run defense.

I don't ever recall the Viking defense giving up a 15? play TD drive where every play was a run.

That 1 series put the kaibosh on all my fandom hopes for the season.

@"JR44" said: Just like last year, most run plays the OL was beaten, but there were several times where Mattison had a nice hole and it looked like it would be a nice gain and he somehow only ended up with 4 yards, those were plays that Cook would have busted and would change the game.  There was always the narrative with Cook that most of his yards were on a few plays, but those few plays were the difference in winning and losing a game. 

Mattison is just too slow to get through the hole, Chandler as well, I think Gaskins actually may be the best fit for their offense.  

@"Mattyman" said: Vikings run game isn't as bad as their run defense.

I don't ever recall the Viking defense giving up a 15? play TD drive where every play was a run.

That 1 series put the kaibosh on all my fandom hopes for the season.

69 rushing yards in two games is going to be worst in the league after this weekend, I assume by a large margin. It’s borderline dire and I’m curious if anyone has a solution. But yeah, there might not be one. Ugh. 

Our front office has put us in a helluva bind.  This is the shit you see right away with your team and plan to fix it via the draft and trades, etc. ahead of the season.  In-season mix and match games with the lines, especially if you have razor-thin depth is disastrous.  Sure, we can sign Risner and whomever else is available, but that does not fix our problem maybe until that new line gels, which will be right around the time we are already 2-7 on the season. 

You can't build a team from the outside-in. Football has always been a game won in the trenches and we've been careless in that regard under the new front office. 

I also said this team was going to miss Dalvin Cook. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm there after week 2

Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

We still have to commit to the run.  I mean i get it that we have a potent passing attack, and we are certainly proving it, but if we dint have balance, teams will catch on.  

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

I disagree. He's still only 27 and had a number of explosive, big plays that were paramount in us winning some of those close games last season. There just is not that threat with Mattison. Downgrade in explosiveness and as a receiver. 

"The Running Game"

Just going from zero to one state would be good....

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

I disagree. He's still only 27 and had a number of explosive, big plays that were paramount in us winning some of those close games last season. There just is not that threat with Mattison. Downgrade in explosiveness and as a receiver. 

I will give you explosiveness,  but I think its a bit early to say as a receiver.  I do think AM has some things over  Cook though and one of them is how fast he hits the hole,  he isnt dancing looking for a home run, he is willing to take what the play gives and when it comes to moving the chains,  I will take that.   He also runs with more power and finishes his runs going forward better than DC,  so theres that.

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

I disagree. He's still only 27 and had a number of explosive, big plays that were paramount in us winning some of those close games last season. There just is not that threat with Mattison. Downgrade in explosiveness and as a receiver. 

I will give you explosiveness,  but I think its a bit early to say as a receiver.  I do think AM has some things over  Cook though and one of them is how fast he hits the hole,  he isnt dancing looking for a home run, he is willing to take what the play gives and when it comes to moving the chains,  I will take that.   He also runs with more power and finishes his runs going forward better than DC,  so theres that.

I think the problem and commonality between Cook last season and Mattison this season is a lack of running lanes due to the problems we've had on the interior offensive line. Bradbury being overpowered, Ingram struggling, all that. I think Mattison is a "trudger" and he's not going to break things like Cook could. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

I disagree. He's still only 27 and had a number of explosive, big plays that were paramount in us winning some of those close games last season. There just is not that threat with Mattison. Downgrade in explosiveness and as a receiver. 

I will give you explosiveness,  but I think its a bit early to say as a receiver.  I do think AM has some things over  Cook though and one of them is how fast he hits the hole,  he isnt dancing looking for a home run, he is willing to take what the play gives and when it comes to moving the chains,  I will take that.   He also runs with more power and finishes his runs going forward better than DC,  so theres that.

I think the problem and commonality between Cook last season and Mattison this season is a lack of running lanes due to the problems we've had on the interior offensive line. Bradbury being overpowered, Ingram struggling, all that. I think Mattison is a "trudger" and he's not going to break things like Cook could. 

its a trade off,  I like to see the slicer and dicer types of runs at times,  but I also feel that the offense benefits more from a consistent run game over those -1, 1, 0, 12, types of output that we saw from DC last year.  Also as AM gets settled in,  I think we will see some longer runs,  but we need to get the D to back out of the box first,  we need to see more out of the quick and intermediate passing game to get those LBs and S from crashing down hill at the snap.  It just seems like our O is playing in quick sand this year compared to the defense.

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Greylock" said: Last season Cook started dancing too much looking for a hole, it happens with older running backs.  This is the first season for Mattison being a feature back so it may take a few games to get in that I'm the guy mode.  I think Cook at his point in his career has lost a step and is going to be just a guy going forward.  For the money was he really worth resigning?

I disagree. He's still only 27 and had a number of explosive, big plays that were paramount in us winning some of those close games last season. There just is not that threat with Mattison. Downgrade in explosiveness and as a receiver. 

I will give you explosiveness,  but I think its a bit early to say as a receiver.  I do think AM has some things over  Cook though and one of them is how fast he hits the hole,  he isnt dancing looking for a home run, he is willing to take what the play gives and when it comes to moving the chains,  I will take that.   He also runs with more power and finishes his runs going forward better than DC,  so theres that.

I think the problem and commonality between Cook last season and Mattison this season is a lack of running lanes due to the problems we've had on the interior offensive line. Bradbury being overpowered, Ingram struggling, all that. I think Mattison is a "trudger" and he's not going to break things like Cook could. 

its a trade off,  I like to see the slicer and dicer types of runs at times,  but I also feel that the offense benefits more from a consistent run game over those -1, 1, 0, 12, types of output that we saw from DC last year.  Also as AM gets settled in,  I think we will see some longer runs,  but we need to get the D to back out of the box first,  we need to see more out of the quick and intermediate passing game to get those LBs and S from crashing down hill at the snap.  It just seems like our O is playing in quick sand this year compared to the defense.

The other problem is KOC is clearly a use the run as an afterthought kind of guy. It's not surprising considering he was a former quarterback and the weapons we have in the passing game, but it certainly makes it difficult to establish an effective rhythm when we are passing the ball all over the yard. Mattison has 19 carries in two games. Swift had that in one quarter last night. Compare that in contrast to how many games we've had Kirk throw the ball 40 times or more under KOC. That number is 10 including both games this season with some 50 burgers mixed in last season. You want to run it, there's got to be some commitment towards doing that from the guy calling plays