The Vikings began their pursuit of a more efficient run game this offseason, picking Alexander Mattison over Dalvin Cook and giving contracts to blockers such as tight end Josh Oliver and fullback C.J. Ham, with the idea they could help Kirk Cousins.
An improved run game, so the thinking went, would keep the quarterback from facing as many long third-down situations where defenses could pressure him and open up more of Kevin O'Connell's playbook for Cousins on second downs where the Vikings needed 6 yards or fewer for a first down.
The Vikings' run game ranked 25th in success rate — a metric that shows how often a running play gains a significant portion of the yardage needed for a new set of downs — in 2022.