MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Establishing the ground game has been a real struggle for the Minnesota Vikings through two games, and while it’s largely been more of an issue with the offensive line than Alexander Mattison, perhaps Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is open to a reunion with a running back he coached for two years with the Los Angeles Rams before taking the job in Minnesota.

The Vikings currently rank 20th in yards before contact per rushing attempt, at 1.1 yards, meaning the ball carrier is often hit before or around the line of scrimmage. From Week 13 through the end of last season, when Akers regained a starting role, he averaged 2.8 yards after contact per rushing attempt, a top-30 mark among running backs over the span.