Minnesota Vikings running game has secret weapon waiting to be unleashed
There hasn’t been a lot to love when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings’ running game, but they have a secret weapon at their disposal.
One of the biggest criticisms of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been the running game. The consistency hasn’t been there with his play calling, with some of that coming from him while the other aspect comes from quarterbacks “canning” the play to a pass.
Even with the criticism, the running game hasn’t been terrible. They have averaged more than four yards per carry in each of O’Connell’s four years at the helm, and this year should be their best offensive line with Christian Darrisaw getting healthy.
Vikings run game could elevate with Jordan Mason
My theory on the running game under O’Connell is that he hasn’t trusted his players enough. It makes sense when his top back either is often injured (Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones) or not a quality starter (Alexander Mattison).
This year, we could see a surge from Jordan Mason, as he ranked No. 4 on Pro Football Focus’ list of players who do best gaining yards after contact.
“Jordan Mason’s place on this list may surprise some fans, but the numbers leave little room for debate. The Minnesota Vikings running back owns a career average of 3.5 yards after contact per carry, placing him among the NFL’s best, albeit with the fewest career rushing attempts (397) of anybody on this list.
His running style explains much of this success. At 230 pounds, Mason is built to run through defenders rather than evade them. While some backs rely on lateral quickness to avoid contact altogether, Mason embraces it and consistently wins those collisions.
Perhaps most encouraging is that Mason may have more football ahead of him than most 27-year-old running backs. With only a little more than 2,000 career rushing yards and relatively modest collegiate usage before entering the NFL, he has accumulated far less wear and tear than many his age at the position. There remains plenty of tread left on the tires.”
At 5-11 and 223 pounds, Mason is built in a very compact way that allows him to break arm tackles with ease. That element will be huge for the Vikings to get the run game on track.
My theory is that Mason will take a big step forward this year with the addition of assistant head coach Frank Smith, as he will be impactful in maximizing the running game with his wide zone approach. Mason thrives in wide zone concepts, which will be prevalent in 2026. Plus, being able to break arm tackles is huge in those concepts.
Don’t sleep on Mason making a huge impact in 2026.
