As the NFL regular season enters its final week, the stakes are high, ranging from playoff berths to the job security of many players. For Alexander Mattison, the running back of the Minnesota Vikings, there’s one more game left to avoid an unwelcome milestone in franchise history.
Despite notching a career-high in carries with 173, Mattison has been unable to find the end zone rushing this season. If this touchdown drought continues through Week 18 when they face the Detroit Lions, he will etch his name in the franchise’s annals as the first and only leading rusher to finish a season with zero rushing touchdowns.
While Mattison’s potential achievement might seem astonishing, several Vikings have come close to this mark over the years.
Since the team’s inception in 1961, three rushing leaders managed to score just one touchdown in a season, namely Mewelde Moore in 2005, Darrin Nelson in 1983, and Ted Brown in 1982, according to Pro Football Reference.
Mattison found himself thrust into the starting role after the team made the surprising decision to part ways with four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook ahead of the 2023 season. However, Mattison hasn’t performed at the level the Vikings had hoped for. Although he has posted a career-best 676 rushing yards to lead the team, his yards per carry average sits at 3.9, the lowest since 2021 when it was 3.7.
Meanwhile, the second-year running back Ty Chandler has outperformed him when given the opportunity, averaging 4.4 yards per carry with 392 yards and three touchdowns on 90 attempts.
As a 2019 third-round pick, Mattison still has one year remaining on a two-year, $7 million contract that he signed at the beginning of the season. So, he’ll likely get another chance in 2024 to secure the No. 1 running back role. However, he’ll need to step up significantly after his underwhelming performance this season.
In addition to the Vikings’ slim playoff hopes and Mattison’s potential franchise history, there’s also a financial incentive at play in Sunday’s game against the Lions. The 25-year-old requires just 74 rushing yards to reach the 750-yard milestone, which would trigger a $250,000 bonus for him.
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