Post by Purple Pain on Dec 14, 2019 14:54:05 GMT -6
Cook and Mattison have become the league’s most explosive RB duo by Matthew Coller
Link:
www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2019/12/cook-and-mattison-have-become-the-leagues-most-explosive-rb-duo/
Backup running backs are one of the few positions in which a player would only see a handful of snaps and be largely at full rest.
The impact of Cook wearing down defenses who then struggle to tackle Mattison has stood out in the fourth quarter for the Vikings. Only six RBs average more yards per handoff in the fourth quarter (min. 20 carries) than the 2019 third-round pick despite the fact that Mattison has faced the fifth most eight-man boxes in the NFL, per NFL NextGen Stats.
The Vikings’ backfield combo has combined for 40 rushes of 10 yards or more. Here’s how some of the other duo’s compare:
Mostert-Breida: 36 (Tevin Coleman also has 11)
Carson-Penny: 32
Hyde-Johnson: 32
Singletary-Gore: 31
Ingram-Edwards: 30
Overall the Vikings rank fifth in rushing first downs — with three of the teams ahead of them using running quarterbacks — and eighth in Expected Points Added on the ground, per Pro-Football Reference. That’s a huge gain from last year, in which they ranked 29th in EPA.
Mattison has also tacked on 10 receptions at 8.2 yards per attempt, bumping the total for Kirk Cousins when targeting his running backs to 60 completions on 70 attempts for 585 yards (8.3 yards per attempt).
The takeaway: The story of the year for the Vikings is that they have become one of the best offenses in the NFL and that starts with an offensive scheme that begins with opponents fearing explosive plays out of the backfield. And as games have worn on, the Vikings have taken advantage of the fact that they have a strong No. 2 back who is among league leaders in yards after contact. The change-of-pace in the Vikings’ case is trucking opponents after they have been run down over the first three quarters — and that is proving to be an effective strategy.
The impact of Cook wearing down defenses who then struggle to tackle Mattison has stood out in the fourth quarter for the Vikings. Only six RBs average more yards per handoff in the fourth quarter (min. 20 carries) than the 2019 third-round pick despite the fact that Mattison has faced the fifth most eight-man boxes in the NFL, per NFL NextGen Stats.
The Vikings’ backfield combo has combined for 40 rushes of 10 yards or more. Here’s how some of the other duo’s compare:
Mostert-Breida: 36 (Tevin Coleman also has 11)
Carson-Penny: 32
Hyde-Johnson: 32
Singletary-Gore: 31
Ingram-Edwards: 30
Overall the Vikings rank fifth in rushing first downs — with three of the teams ahead of them using running quarterbacks — and eighth in Expected Points Added on the ground, per Pro-Football Reference. That’s a huge gain from last year, in which they ranked 29th in EPA.
Mattison has also tacked on 10 receptions at 8.2 yards per attempt, bumping the total for Kirk Cousins when targeting his running backs to 60 completions on 70 attempts for 585 yards (8.3 yards per attempt).
The takeaway: The story of the year for the Vikings is that they have become one of the best offenses in the NFL and that starts with an offensive scheme that begins with opponents fearing explosive plays out of the backfield. And as games have worn on, the Vikings have taken advantage of the fact that they have a strong No. 2 back who is among league leaders in yards after contact. The change-of-pace in the Vikings’ case is trucking opponents after they have been run down over the first three quarters — and that is proving to be an effective strategy.
www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2019/12/cook-and-mattison-have-become-the-leagues-most-explosive-rb-duo/
... and neither is this Chris guy.