Following Dalvin Cook’s departure, one of the biggest questions for the Minnesota Vikings was who would be the primary backup to Alexander Mattison. Ty Chandler made quite the impression in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Vikings RB Ty Chandler Shines in Preseason Opener
The second-year running back handled most of the workload on Thursday with Mattison — who suffered an injury early in August — and Kene Nwangwu not playing. Chandler carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards.
The most impressive part of Chandler’s night was his passing-catching ability. He caught four balls for 29 yards, taking multiple checkdowns for first downs and making the first defender miss on multiple occasions.
Ty Chandler looks great
Started the game. Playing a ton of snaps. Staying in on obvious passing downs.
Back to back plays. Back to back checkdowns. pic.twitter.com/NiQB2grBCB
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 11, 2023
“I thought Ty Chandler jumped out just anytime he had the ball in his hand — very rarely tackled by the first defender that was in space,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.
“Catching the ball and then picked up really where he left off as far as his ability when the lights come on that, you know, sometimes turn into a different guy. And you know, now I want to see it every single day and really see him be consistent because he’s proven, you know, when it goes live, and it’s real football. He’s a tough guy to bring to the ground.”
There are plenty of question marks in the Minnesota backfield, and rightfully so. Mattison has never been a full-time starter, and Chandler, Nwangwu, and rookie DeWayne McBride have combined for 28 career carries.
Minnesota could consider adding a veteran to the backfield, but Chandler might be able to prevent that. The fifth-round pick out of North Carolina showed he can contribute in all phases.
Coming out of North Carolina, Chandler showcased his athleticism and burst, sporting a sub-4.4 speed. That has translated to the next level as well.
The Minnesota #Vikings add #UNC running back Ty Chandler to the backfield, who can make plays like this ⤵️
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) April 30, 2022
Chandler appeared to take advantage of the opportunity at hand. If he gains the trust that he can step in at any moment, then his role will likely increase.
“Yeah, with Kene being down, kind of still working through what he’s working through. You know, I really wanted to see Ty and see what he can handle as far as all the phases of our offense,” O’Connell said.
“And I thought, you know, as the calling plays their form here and there, in the first half, I found myself wanting to get him touches, and that’s always a good thing. And just his, you know, his ability to see it in live game action, his vision is burst, you know, finish it all showed up.
“And then, like I said, his ability out of the backfield either on a screen to even getting four or five on a screen that really wasn’t well executed. He’s making things happen. So when we can clean up our execution around him, you can start to project his impact. So really positive night for him.”
For years, Mattison was everybody’s favorite backup running back, but could Chandler be the next? He’s certainly taken a step forward as we inch closer to the regular season.