The Vikings Need Jordan Mason and the Running Game To Travel Across the Pond

I’m a sucker for a good, old-fashioned football cliché. The kind of thing you’d hear your buddy’s dad say whenever you’re talking about sports growing up. These time-honored adages are at once meaningless fluff and yet still somewhat true.

I’m talking about the classics. Stuff like “defense wins championships” or “the season really starts in November.” Ahead of this week’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I couldn’t help but think about my buddy’s dad, who’d always remind us that, while passing was fun to watch, “the running game travels.” He was implying that good rushing attacks are more likely to translate in hostile environments than a strong aerial assault.

The Vikings are about to see if their running game can travel across the pond to Dublin.

Minnesota's rushing attack already looks significantly different from last season, when it was largely an accessory to Kevin O’Connell's signature downfield passing attack. The investments in the offensive interior seem to be paying off. This was especially clear with Christian Darrisaw’s return to the lineup last week, as it sent a cascading boost down the rest of the line. O’Connell is also showing more discipline in sticking to the running game and making it a large part of the game plan. But while those other factors have certainly contributed, it’s hard not to state the obvious.

Jordan Mason doesn’t just look serviceable, he looks like Minnesota's new starting running back.

Now it’s too hasty to completely discredit what Aaron Jones brings to this team, and he may regain a solid portion of his original role when he gets back on the field. But it’s just hard to look at the difference in production and stylistic synergy with what the offense is asking for that Jordan Mason has provided so far this season.

Even when Aaron Jones held the 1A role over Mason’s 1B, Mason was making the case that the roles should be reversed. During the first two weeks of the season, Mason had Jones beat in carries, rushing yards, and yards per carry. Mason went 24 carries for 98 yards and 4.08 YPC. Jones had 13 carries for 46 yards and 3.53 YPC for Jones. Even amidst an offensive meltdown during seven out of the first eight quarters the Vikings played this season, Mason proved he could be productive any time he touched the ball.

Mason asserted himself further this past weekend when he steamrolled through the hapless Cincinnati Bengals 16 times for 116 yards and 7.3 yards per carry. Mason didn’t need a huge workload to capitalize on the opportunity. It quickly became apparent that Cincinnati's defense didn't enjoy tackling. His toughness and physicality were simply too much for the Bengals to handle, especially once their offense imploded, leaving a struggling defense exposed.

Mason brings a lot to the Minnesota offense. He’s far from just a short-yardage bowling ball. He has a burst that is more than adequate for his position, and, perhaps more acutely than many other young running backs, Mason knows how to navigate the line of scrimmage. He already excels in pass protection, reads his blocks well, and isn’t shy about taking on contact in the second level. He’s a good reminder that there are many different elements to an excellent running back, and a good 40-yard dash is an overrated part of the evaluation process.

And that’s great, because Minnesota is going to need every bit of what Mason can do when they take on Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s defense is not quite the elite unit that Steelers fans are accustomed to, but it shouldn’t be underestimated either. There’s some real talent in that secondary and along the line of scrimmage. Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr, Darius Slay, and T.J. Watt, just to rattle off a few names that Vikings fans may recall.

Tomlin had drawn criticism over his defensive scheme in recent years. There wasn’t enough disguising their coverages pre-snap, or unique pressure packages to create better opportunities for Watt. They played a defense that relied on talent and fundamental understanding rather than creativity.

That’s not the case this year. Pittsburgh's defense has been far more multiple, moving players like Jalen Ramsey and Watt all over the formation. Their defense aims to confuse their opponent with defensive pre-snap looks, with the full intention of running a completely different coverage on the back end, or by using some Flores-esque loops and stunts to put their players in favorable matchups.

Which all feels eerily similar. It feels like I just described a lot of what Minnesota's defense tries to do each week. There’s clearly some interesting DNA in common between these two defenses, and Atlanta’s formula for handling it was simple and effective: We’re just gonna run them over.

If the Vikings are going to win this game in Ireland, Jordan Mason will likely be a huge reason why. The best way to handle stunting up front is to run straight at them, something Mason feels very comfortable doing. And the rest of the offensive playbook really opens up when a solid running game can keep things in manageable down and distance situations, which Mason has shown a knack for this season.

Let’s just hope the old adage is true, and the running game travels.