While Matt Asiata did much of the dirty work in the Minnesota Vikings victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, it was Jerick McKinnon who opened the most eyes.
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The explosive rookie who had a Calvin Johnson-like SPARQ score put together some amazing runs though was overshadowed by Asiata in the box score as the plodder had three scores on the day. Still, it was Jerick McKinnon who looked to be the far more explosive runner.
Still, it wasn’t enough to get him the staring running back gig as Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer says Jerick McKinnon is still the change-of-pace back though did suggest next year that could change.
Zimmer said he sees Jerick McKinnon as a change of pace and mentions next year when talking about him becoming an every-down back.
— Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) September 29, 2014
The biggest problem for Jerick McKinnon isn’t running the ball currently but rather picking up blocks, especially on the blitz. He has improved since coming into the NFL though is still rather poor and the last thing the Minnesota Vikings want is for Teddy Bridgewater to get mashed because of McKinnon’s poor blocking habits.
It seems reasonable to assume that McKinnon could potentially carve out more playing time as the season grows older though if he’s to improve his blocking, especially if Matt Asiata doesn’t pick up his game.
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