Vikings' Ty Chandler: Set for lead role Week 15
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell indicated that Chandler will serve as the team's lead back Saturday against the Bengals with Alexander Mattison (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
After spraining his ankle early in the second half of Sunday's 3-0 win over the Raiders, Mattison was unable to practice in any fashion during Week 15. Chandler should be in store for his first NFL start this weekend as a result, and he likely won't face much of a challenge for snaps from the remaining backfield options currently on the roster. Kene Nwangwu is the No. 3 back on the depth chart but is valued mainly for his contributions as the Vikings' kickoff returner and is relied upon on offense for the occasional gadget play, while fullback C.J. Ham primarily operates as a blocker rather than a runner or receiver. The Vikings are likely to promote one or both of Myles Gaskin and DeWayne McBride from the practice squad to offer an additional rushing threat behind Chandler, but the second-year back out of North Carolina could still have a path to a three-down role. Chandler hasn't been overly efficient with his limited opportunities through his first 16 career NFL games, averaging 4.1 yards on 55 carries and 6.0 yards over 15 targets.
