Through the first quarter of the regular season, the Minnesota Vikings sit in third place in the NFC North with a 1-3 record. It’s hard to pinpoint positives on a team that has struggled to live up to their expectations, but their decision on re-signing Dalvin Cook is starting to look like it’s already paid off.
Cook currently leads the league with 424 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He is also rated the No. 1 running back by PFF and has the most yards after contact as well.
Dalvin Cook this season:
🟣 25 RUSH first downs (1st)
🟣 6 RUSH TDs (1st)
🟣 21 missed tackles forced on runs (1st)
🟣 269 rushing yards after contact this season (1st)pic.twitter.com/VsQcLtKzSp— PFF (@PFF) October 5, 2020
These stats would be impressive for any running back across the NFL. However, they are even more impressive for Cook, considering he is putting these numbers up in front of the 22nd rated offensive line, according to PFF.
Cook, in Gary Kubiak’s offense, got off to a slow start through the first two games in terms of utilization. Over the last two games alone, Cook has totaled 311 yards and three touchdowns.
Not only has Cook helped the offense score 30 points in three of the first four games, but he has also opened the play-action game for Kirk Cousins. Pairing Cook with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen should have the Vikings fan base excited for upcoming years. Looking at the Vikings long term, the playmakers on this offense are among the bright spots.
Paying injury-prone running backs can be a scary thing to do for franchises across the league. The analytics say that riding out a running back on a rookie contract is the way to go, but Cook is proving his value to the Vikings offense through the first month of the season.