Forum The Longship McKinnon needs to remain the lead RB

McKinnon needs to remain the lead RB

StickierBuns
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He's so versatile. His running instincts may be subpar, but they are good enough. His receiving ability is top-notch. He's more elusive than last year and runs with power. Fast. Spell him for a series, but he's got play-making ability at the position. 

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#1 · Oct 30, 5:06 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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I like going with the hot hand,  give a few opportunities a game to Murray and if he's productive stick with him or go back to Jet if not,  keep the play calling diverse and keep them both in the mix. I think they both will benefit from a rotation.

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#2 · Oct 30, 5:26 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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Fun fact of the day, Cook is still our leading rusher...

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#3 · Oct 30, 5:47 AM
DE
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@"BarrNone55" said: Fun fact of the day, Cook is still our leading rusher...
Sigh. That injury still bums me out. 
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#4 · Oct 30, 5:50 AM
DE
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Me too...

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#5 · Oct 30, 5:51 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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@"BarrNone55" said: Fun fact of the day, Cook is still our leading rusher...
 F k 
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#6 · Oct 30, 6:51 AM
DE
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i like going with the hot hand. Jet is pretty small, I dont know what kind of beating he can take.

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#7 · Oct 30, 7:28 AM
DE
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@"BarrNone55" said: Fun fact of the day, Cook is still our leading rusher...

Dalvin would be pushing 1,000 right now if he was playing....

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#8 · Oct 30, 7:41 AM
DE
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@"StickyBun" said: He's so versatile. His running instincts may be subpar, but they are good enough. His receiving ability is top-notch. He's more elusive than last year and runs with power. Fast. Spell him for a series, but he's got play-making ability at the position. 
I assume you do not mean McKinnon should be the starter even next fall when Cook is back. Or...do you trust Cook will return at 100%?

It's going to be hard to keep McKinnon if he keeps playing well. He's going to be a 25-year-old UFA with not much wear on his legs. If another team offers him a chance to start, why would he return to Minnesota to be Cook's backup? So we will need to pay more than any other team offers. 

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#9 · Oct 30, 8:15 AM
DE
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McKinnon is doing a much better job of running behind his pads and being physical this year.  In the past he seemed to try to avoid hits at the expense of that last couple yards.  Maybe watching Cook who isn't much bigger run helped him realize how to do that. 

Kind of like the QB spot they still need to see if they can get Murray going because he is under contract next year while Jet is an UFA and likely gone.  It's possible they will need to work Cook back in slowly so they will need a serviceable plan B.

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#10 · Oct 30, 8:34 AM
DE
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I kind of feel like McKinnon will be gone after this season. Of the contracts we have coming up, and with a big QB contract likely to eat up a lot of cap space, I don't see how we can afford McKinnon unless he just doesn't get the offers we all think he'll likely get....seems like a small chance as he's outperformed what any of us would have predicted coming into this season.

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#11 · Oct 30, 8:36 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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another fun fact from vikings.com

McKinnon averaged 3.6 yards per carry (50 yards on 14 rushes) against
a Browns defense that entered the game ranked first in the league with
2.96 yards allowed per rush.

According to analytics site Pro
Football Focus, McKinnon averaged 3.29 yards after contact per carry,
squeezing out more than initially available. PFF credited McKinnon with
forcing five missed tackles.

He is running so much stronger this year.  He brings some pop with him.  So glad we have some quality backups this year. 

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#12 · Oct 30, 9:57 AM
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Forum The Longship McKinnon needs to remain the lead RB
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