KOC talks about Chandler and Lions

[CharVike]

In summary he talked about Ty being a gun runner in college and he needed to learn to run from a pro set also. He said that you need to block in his offense and he has improved in that area. He is progressing in a positive way which is some good news for us. On a side note Hicks has returned to the practice portion from injury and it's possible he can play this week. Only possible. I thought Hicks would be a guy they wouldn't keep but he was having a good season for us until he went down.

[fiestavike]

Chandler has obviously been the best runner on the team. This was evident in the preseason. I can belive he had to catch up on pass protection, but Mattison has always and obviously been a borderline NFL rb. You could sign 12 guys off the street who could match his production.

[CharVike]

Chandler has obviously been the best runner on the team. This was evident in the preseason. I can belive he had to catch up on pass protection, but Mattison has always and obviously been a borderline NFL rb. You could sign 12 guys off the street who could match his production.

I didn't like giving Matti a 2 year deal either. He's a fine backup who can have a good game or two. He got no looks from other teams in FA. That tells the story. He was close to getting released when he had some fumbles this year. Perhaps he is helping with the young guys like Chandler and the kid on the PS. I think you need some veteran leadership. I believe we keep Hicks for that because I was hoping he was gone also.

[J. Kapp 11]

Chandler really showed his talent against the Bengals. It wasn’t just the explosive runs, of which there were several. It was also that on plays where the line didn’t get it blocked, he didn’t lose yardage. He managed to get back to the LOS or gain a yard or two. If Mattison faces the same thing, he loses yards. Chandler is also quick through the hole. When he sees it, he puts his foot in the ground and goes. Mattison dances too much, which is weird for a guy who isn’t particularly fast.

The other thing is hall security, something every Vikings fan is pretty sensitive to by now. When Chandler was in traffic, he had both arms around the ball … every time. I never felt like there was any chance he would fumble. Some will say that Mattison didn’t have that many fumbles, but he had a couple early in the season that were negated by penalty. Chandler also has way better hands than Mattison as a receiver. Mattison helped cost us the KC game with a drop on the play late where he was wide open for a TD.

To me, this is an easy call. Chandler is RB1, not just this season, but also going into 2024.