Zimmer: Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon 'did better' in pass pro and 'ran the ball physically' in Week 7

The Vikings have said they want to give Matta Asiata a similar number of carries, but Jerick McKinnon has made that difficult. McKinnon has 30 carries over the last two weeks, and Asiata has eight.

"Jerick has played well. I thought he did better in pass protection last week, I thought he ran the ball physically last week and he has a chance to make explosive plays, and that has nothing to do with Matt," HC Mike Zimmer said.

Pass protection, in many ways, is the most important part, and an area in which rookies, especially smaller ones like McKinnon, often struggle. While he has yielded plenty of pressure from opposing rushers, he made strides against the Bills.

Perhaps the Vikings have found their permanent replacement for Adrian Peterson, rather than just a complement.

It appears that McKinnon is on solid ground as the Vikings' starter. Owners should treat him as a RB2 moving forward.