Has the time come for the Vikings to turn the backfield into a Ty Chandler-led committee?
Chandler led all skill players in Sunday night’s loss at the Broncos with 110 yards from scrimmage, showing the 4.38-second speed he flashed in the 40-yard dash as well as needed patience and vision behind some inconsistent blocking.
Perhaps the most important stat to a coaching staff fighting a league-high 14 lost fumbles: Chandler had zero fumbles. Running back Alexander Mattison lost his second fumble of the season — again during a one-score loss like the Eagles game.
Chandler is gaining trust from Vikings coaches by making plays and refining the nuances of his game, which could lead to an even bigger role. Mattison led the committee with more touches (19 to 14) and more snaps (48 to 23) in Denver.
“I think both of those guys getting some carries is a good thing,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Tuesday. “Love to see Ty get in there and make some plays, not only in the run game but the pass game as well. You’re seeing when he’s touching the ball, some good things are happening for us even in the special teams game, so I think that will continue.”
Can Chandler’s role grow into being the lead runner?
“He’s shown that he’s making plays, and we’re going to continue to try to get him touches,” Phillips said. “What that exactly looks like going forward, we’ll keep talking about. But we’re going to try to get him some touches and make sure he’s a part of it. Anybody who’s going to go out and make plays for us.”
Below we’ll take a look at eight of Chandler’s plays in Denver.
Showing off his speed
Chandler continues to show the agility, speed and production that can precede a larger workload. He’s averaging 5.7 yards per touch. Only four running backs are averaging more with at least 40 touches this season. Coaches have seen growth behind the scenes that’s showing in games.
“He’s grown tremendously,” Phillips said. “That’s the thing sometimes with a young player. You’re seeing kind of the finished product over a year and a half of really learning the position, learning the game, learning the NFL game. He’s always been a talented player, and we always knew that about him. But it’s different paths for everybody.”
“Sometimes you can look back and say, ‘Why wasn’t it happening before?’ ” Phillips added. “We got to be ready to trust someone to put in the game, and sometimes when you’re a rookie, it’s tough. You’re coming into a league where terminology is way different, a lot more scheme, a lot more details.”
Chandler handled well the Vikings’ shift to more gap scheme runs against a Broncos defense that struggled to penetrate the line.
In the video below, you’ll see two counter runs by Chandler. Both gain 7 yards. The first is well blocked. The second is not, but Chandler still rides the play out and finds a crease. The third and fourth plays are examples of what Chandler can do given room. He nearly converted a third-and-20 with a speedy catch and run. He also gained 31 yards when the Vikings surprised the Broncos with a fake punt.
Chandler reached 20.09 miles per hour on the fake punt, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, which was the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier in the game. Mattison hit 20.35 mph on his 15-yard run to the perimeter in the first quarter.
Click here for the YouTube link.
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‘Building trust and opportunities’
Chandler has bided his time while trying to refine the nuances of the position, some as basic as lining up in the right place to more complex details such as identifying the correct defender to block in pass protection. He had one bad pass pro rep at the end of Sunday’s loss that was critical, but he was largely solid in blocking for quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
“He stepped up in there and was on the right guys this week,” Phillips said. “You just keep building trust that way, and you keep building opportunities.”
Chandler is also building trust as a ball handler. He’s had just one fumble in a game — in 2021 for North Carolina — during his last 541 touches on offense (454 in college, 48 in the NFL regular season and 39 in the NFL preseason). He had only four fumbles in a five-year college career.
In the video below, you’ll see three strong reps of pass blocking from Chandler. Twice he identifies and picks up a blitzing linebacker, and once he throws a shoulder into an incoming defensive lineman. The fourth rep is a growing pain when he lets Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell (47) get by to hit Dobbs during an interception.