National Football League

McKinnon, Asiata to split carries as Vikings will keep two-back system

Published Oct. 17, 2014 5:50 p.m. ET

foxsports

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Nine days of introspection led the Minnesota Vikings to making one significant change heading into last week's game against the Detroit Lions. Rookie running back Jerick McKinnon made his first NFL start and took the bulk of the workload in the backfield.

The Vikings continue to seek answers without Adrian Peterson, who likely won't play the rest of this season as he deals with child abuse charges in Texas.

The decision was no grand gesture that McKinnon is going to be the one to fill the immense role of Peterson. As Minnesota continues to look for some type of consistency without Peterson, McKinnon is only part of the solution.

"We know where we're at and we've got to make this thing go," offensive coordinator Norv Turner said this week. "We've got young backs, two young backs that are playing good that are going to keep getting better and we've got to find the best way to attack teams like Detroit, like Buffalo that are dominant up front and manage the games."

McKinnon had 11 carries for 40 yards and caught six passes for 42 yards, leading the way for Minnesota's offense in a disappointing performance against the Lions' top-ranked defense last week. For the first time this season, McKinnon dominated the rushing load for the Vikings.

Matt Asiata, who had started the previous four games in place of Peterson, carried the ball twice for minus-5 yards and had a pass deflect off his hands for an interception.

Looming this week is another defense with a line as dominating as Detroit's. Buffalo owns the league's top-ranked run defense, allowing only 67.5 rushing yards per game. Minnesota's counter is to keep its two-back system going.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said this week he wanted to get Asiata more involved than in last week's loss.

"I just like Asiata," Zimmer said. "I think he's got some physicality. He's played well this year. He had that one fumble against Green Bay but that was after a 12-yard run. Matt is an extremely dependable guy and I anticipate that when he carries the ball that he's going to get some yardage. And that's not a knock on McKinnon at all because I think McKinnon still has the explosiveness.

"I would just like to see us keep using them both."

The situation hasn't been easy for the team or the players.

Asiata is used to the waiting. McKinnon is learning how to deal with the added responsibilities.

The bigger, power back, Asiata had taken the majority of carries until last week.

"It's not really a waiting game," Asiata said. "You've always got to be prepared. Being behind Adrian, you never know. Obviously he's going to play the whole game. You always got to be prepared in whatever you do. When your time is called, you got to go out there and play."

McKinnon had a breakout performance against Atlanta in Week 4 with 18 carries for 135 yards. He followed with just seven carries for 24 yards against Green Bay before last week's turn as the lead ball carrier.

In six weeks, McKinnon has gone from third string to starter, quite the jump for the third-round pick who spent much of his college career as an option quarterback.

"I feel like I've been consistent," McKinnon said. "I have little mistakes here and there, mishaps here and there, but for the most part I think I've been consistent. I think I showed them that I've come to get better as a player every day in practice and out. I just try to build upon those things as I go along and find my way."

Getting either in a rhythm has been difficult minus a Week 4 win against Atlanta when Minnesota had 241 rushing yards on the strength of McKinnon's breakout performance. The Falcons are 27th in the NFL in run defense, allowing 140.2 yards per game.

Long one of the league's top running teams with Peterson, the Vikings are 13th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 119.8 yards per game.

An improved running game would aid rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater's best game came against Atlanta when Minnesota was controlling the game on the ground.

Pass protection is also a factor for the running backs.

"In today's NFL, if a running back does not know who to block in pass protection he is not very good because he's going to get your quarterback killed," Zimmer said. "I know when I was with (Bill) Parcells he told the team every year at the beginning of camp that he can't put rookies in the game if they don't know how to protect or who to protect because they'll get the quarterback killed."

Coincidentally, McKinnon's biggest challenge is standing up to incoming defenders.

"He missed a protection and there were a couple of times where he had the right guy and got beat physically," Zimmer said of McKinnon's protection in last week's game. "But for the most part, you've got to consider where he's come from and what the position is he played before and all of the different things that's going on with a running back now days in the NFL. I think he's doing very well."

Meanwhile, McKinnon and Asiata will continue to split time. Facing Buffalo's defense this week, Asiata knows what must be done to be more productive.

"We just got to, I'll say, be the hammer and not the nail," Asiata said. "Just go out there and punch them before they punch us and just move the ball."

Follow Brian Hall on Twitter