The Data Does Not Lie Mason Proves He Is The Vikings’ Best Running Back

Las Vegas Raiders WR Chris Beatty Highlights Receiver Development and the Importance of Consistency During Bye Week

When last offseason started, the Minnesota Vikings had a clear plan to become a more efficient rushing offense. A key piece of that plan was acquiring running back Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.

Without getting into the potentially boring details, Mason was easy to see as the ideal complement to Aaron Jones.

Last season, he was better in every area where Jones was not very good as a runner. The Vikings also needed someone who could reduce the workload of a 31-year-old running back coming off a career-high in touches.

In Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, Mason asserted himself as the Vikings' best running back. The offense's dismal showing in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons did not show much of anything as a follow-up, and Jones suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on IR during that game.

In the last four games, Mason has played at least a 60 percent snap share with Zavier Scott stepping into Jones' role as the passing-down complement. Over that span, Mason has out-carried Scott 64-19 and out-touched him 67-27.

Looming Minnesota Vikings injury return should not alter Jordan Mason's usage at all

An IR stint requires a player to miss a minimum of four games. So that means Jones is eligible to be activated ahead of Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

On Tuesday, head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Jones' 21-day activation window would be opened, and there's a chance he could play against the Chargers.

Whenever Jones is activated, the question is how his availability will impact Mason's role.

As shared by FanSided's Marcus Mosher recently, Mason is fourth among running backs with at least 80 carries this season in rushing success rate (56 percent)

In three of his four seasons, including this partial one so far, Mason has had a rushing success rate of at least 55 percent. Jones has been below that mark in three of the same four seasons, and in four of his last five campaigns.

So far this season, according to Next Gen Stats, Mason is top-15 in rushing yards over expected (66, 10th), rushing yards over expectation per attempt (0.82; 13th), and rush percentage over expected (44.4 percent, 15th).

During the offseason, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he envisioned Mason and Jones being a "1A/1B" backfield dynamic, essentially an equal share of the workload. That truly didn't last even one full game, then Jones was injured in Week 2.

If O'Connell needs any further confirmation about keeping Mason's role basically as it has been when Jones is back, there's data to solidify what should already be obvious.

1 Quiet Reason the Raiders' Offense Has Struggled This Season

The Las Vegas Raiders' offense has struggled this season for various reasons, mainly subpar play along the offensive line and at quarterback. However, the lack of playmakers at skill positions, for various reasons, have held the Raiders' offense back.

Raiders Rookies Must Improve

The Raiders invested a second-round pick into drafting Jack Bech, proving how much they believed in him before he ever put a Raiders jersey on. However, Bech must do his part and work through the growing pains only the Raiders' coaching staff knows about.

Bech and Dont'e Thornton were brought in to be two of those playmakers but have yet to make much of an impact. Bech's lack of playing time on an offense in desperate need of help at wide receiver speaks volumes about where Las Vegas' coaching staff believes he is developmentally.

“The more plays that we can log with the new guys, Jack [Bech] and Dont'e [Thornton Jr.], we can show them the things that they need to improve on and the things that they're not quite as sharp on. It helps them. And there's some pain in that too. There's some pain in there that we have to undergo. But it's how you do it,” Carroll said.

“By the time you get to the middle of the season, these guys should have things really cleaned up, and they should be ready to go and we can count on them and they can come through and not be error repeaters, you know? And that's what we're working hard at."

During the Bye Week, Raiders' Wide Receivers Coach Chris Beatty gave an update on the development of both of Las Vegas' wide receivers. If the Raiders can get Bech and Thornton up to speed quickly, it could alleviate some of the issues they are having on offense.

"Some ups and downs. We have got to be more consistent. Both of those guys are learning a lot. Theres good and bad in everything. First couple of games, Dont'e had an explosive play in every game," Beatty said.

"He has kind of fell back a little bit and some of the fundamentals, we have got to continue to build on. Same thing with Jack. They have done okay but there is a lot more out there. So, we will keep pushing them and getting the most out of them."