Vikings Snap Counts: Rookie Mattison makes most of limited playing time
Alexander Mattison's NFL debut consisted of just 12 plays, but the rookie running back made them count.
Mattison was on the field for just a dozen of the Minnesota Vikings' snaps on offense during their Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, rushing nine times for 49 yards behind starter Dalvin Cook.
Mattison did most of his damage on a pair of big gains in the first half, picking up 23 yards on the final play of the first quarter. He came up just short of a touchdown on the Vikings' third possession, scampering out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins scored two plays later, as the Vikings opened up a 21-0 lead.
Fellow running backs Ameer Abdullah and Mike Boone played sparingly. Abdullah logged just four snaps, while Boone had two.
A third-round pick out of Boise State, Mattison was one of just three FBS running backs to rack up 300-plus carries last season, finishing with 1,415 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Other notes:
-- Safeties Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris were the only players to appear on all 78 of the Vikings' defensive snaps.
-- The Vikings' rebuilt offensive line made it through Week 1 intact. Left tackle Riley Reiff, left guard Pat Elflein, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Josh Kline and right tackle Brian O'Neill played on all of the offensive snaps.
-- Outside of Cousins and the offensive line, tight end Kyle Rudolph was the only other member of the offense to play on all 53 snaps.
-- Meanwhile, rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr. appeared on just 26 snaps.
-- Cornerback Mackensie Alexander played just 21 snaps on defense, exiting in the first half with an elbow injury.
-- Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, was on the field for 32 of the Vikings' 53 offensive snaps.
OFFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (53) | % |
| Rudolph | 53 | 100% |
| Reiff | 53 | 100% |
| Kline | 53 | 100% |
| Elflein | 53 | 100% |
| O'Neill | 53 | 100% |
| Bradbury | 53 | 100% |
| Cousins | 53 | 100% |
| Thielen | 47 | 89% |
| Cook | 36 | 68% |
| Diggs | 32 | 60% |
| I. Smith | 26 | 49% |
| Ham | 22 | 42% |
| Beebe | 14 | 26% |
| Mattison | 12 | 23% |
| O. Johnson | 7 | 13% |
| Dillon | 7 | 13% |
| Abdullah | 4 | 8% |
| Dozier | 3 | 6% |
| Boone | 2 | 4% |
DEFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (78) | % |
| Harris | 78 | 100% |
| Smith | 78 | 100% |
| Barr | 72 | 92% |
| Kendricks | 72 | 92% |
| Waynes | 67 | 86% |
| Rhodes | 66 | 85% |
| Hunter | 65 | 83% |
| Griffen | 65 | 83% |
| Kearse | 45 | 58% |
| Stephen | 42 | 54% |
| Joseph | 40 | 51% |
| Weatherly | 34 | 44% |
| Mata'afa | 28 | 36% |
| J. Johnson | 26 | 33% |
| Alexander | 21 | 27% |
| Gedeon | 18 | 23% |
| Boyd | 15 | 19% |
| Odenigbo | 12 | 15% |
| Wilson | 7 | 9% |
| Fields | 6 | 8% |
| Epps | 1 | 1% |
