ESPN on the Ascent of Running Back During Lunch Ty Chandler
BREAKING NEWS: Vikings HC seems to trade Ty Chandler in January.
EAGAN, Minnesota The Vikings’ head coach, Kevin O’Connell, stated on Wednesday that the team is “building with the mindset that” Ty Chandler would be a player “we are trying to get the ball to a lot, both in the run and in the pass.” Chandler had a career game last week against Cincinnati.
ESPN reporter Kevin Seifert looked at Chandler’s role expansion this season and its future implications for the Vikings.
Chandler has undoubtedly advanced much since the Vikings selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. However, his rocky path to Saturday’s performance and the realization that it might not be enough to keep him in the starting lineup offer a fascinating look into how coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings coaching staff have handled personnel in what has been a generally friendly locker room throughout their 31-game tenure in Minnesota.
O’Connell, a former NFL player, was dismissed by the New England Patriots one year after being selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the result of an abrupt and unexpected decision. Whether intentional or not, O’Connell has approached decision-making very differently.
The Vikings running backs’ room was built, according to Seifert, before Chandler had his breakthrough game. Chandler gained more opportunities as he continued to produce big plays.
With Dalvin Cook gone, Alexander Mattison led the Vikings into training camp as their surefire starter, with Chandler filling in. With the Vikings ranking No. 31 in running over the first three games of the regular season, Mattison was getting 76 percent of backfield touches and 77 percent of snaps. But as soon as the Vikings acquired veteran Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams, Chandler, not Mattison, was taken over.
After Chandler almost vanished from the Vikings backfield for six games, Matt Daniels, the special teams coordinator, told Chandler that he should get more reps as the punter’s personal defender. Chandler showed clear signs of big-play potential in that capacity. In Weeks 5 and 11, he ran 15 yards on two fake punts that he converted. Between, in Week 8, he had a 103-yard kickoff return called back due to a penalty. Chandler had two additional significant gains in his infrequent offensive outings brought back: a 27-yard reception on a double pass in Week 7 and a 29-yard touchdown run in Week 10 following Mattison’s entry into the concussion protocol.
Chandler may have to endure yet another demanding workload on Sunday at home against the Lions, as Mattison continues to recover from an ankle ailment.
For one thing, Chandler doesn’t seem to be phased.
Usually quiet, he reiterated on Saturday that he was only attempting “to seize the moment” and gave the Vikings offensive line credit for his performance in three of the five questions he fielded from the media.
To read ESPN’s whole piece on Chandler, click this link.
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Star Tribune contrasts the first and second seasons of O’Connell
The Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III stated that although the Vikings won’t duplicate their division-winning record from the previous campaign, O’Connell’s leadership of his club this year is more remarkable than it was the year before.
Although O’Connell has prevented this season from collapsing, there are concerns regarding his coaching choices. Even though he won’t pass the rigorous examination, it’s still noteworthy that he has a 7–7 record and is in the running for the playoffs.
Nevertheless, after Saturday’s overtime loss to the Bengals, “Fire KOC” was trending on X (previously Twitter).
You have to be joking.
Neal emphasized the wide range of ailments Minnesota has recovered from. With Kirk Cousins sidelined after an Achilles tear in Week 8 and star receiver Justin Jefferson sidelined for more than seven games due to a hamstring ailment, Neal admits the Vikings had plenty of reasons to give up. Instead of offering an explanation, O’Connell and his staff kept the squad in the running for the playoffs.
O’Connell’s coaching skills are evident in the Vikings’.500 record, which comes despite a wave of injuries and fumbles. The club has successfully changed its focus from being an offensive-focused squad to one that is mostly focused on defense.
..The Vikings team from the previous season set a record by going 11-0 in one-score games thanks to some sort of genetic mutation. This season, O’Connell was unable to regain the gene, and they are 6-7 in these kinds of contests. Being legendary cannot last, particularly when your star players are placed on injured reserve.
The Vikings still have a chance to win the NFC North with three games remaining, in addition to a chance to make the playoffs.
