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Let. Dalvin. Cook. (Again)
Just a week after Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook torched the Green Bay Packers for 226 yards and four touchdowns, he was back for an encore. Less than four minutes into the Vikings Week 9 matchup with the Detroit Lions, Cook took a handoff from Kirk Cousins running right, cut back left, and, dragging three Lion defenders towards the end zone, reached out to open the scoring.
Cook added another touchdown and finished with 22 rushes for 206 yards and 252 all-purpose yards. Cook carried the Vikings and fantasy teams everywhere to victory.
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Cook, a 2017 second-rounder out of Florida State, finished the 1 p.m. slate with more FanDuel fantasy points than any other player in the league for the second week in a row (38.2 fantasy points, 2.2 more than number two Josh Allen).
Coming into Week 9, Cook led the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns and 11 total touchdowns (despite missing Week 6 with an injury). He averaged 130 yards-per-game and 5.3 yards-per-carry through week 8. In week 9, he only improved his season totals and averages.
Early in the fourth quarter, Cook exploded for his longest carry of the day. Taking the handoff on Cousins' left, Cook plunged in between the hashes and followed three Vikings blockers. With only Detroit's Jayron Kearse, Cook flashed his straight-line speed (he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine), picking up 70-yards on the ground and beating every Lion defender by at least five yards.
Can Cook carry Vikings to playoffs?
Though Cook has led the Vikings to wins in consecutive weeks, Minnesota still sits at only 3-5, three wins behind the AFC North-leading Packers. Cook's next test comes against the Chicago Bears in week 10, the 16th ranked rushing defense in the league. Last time Cook faced Chicago, the Bears defense held the RB to just 35 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Bears sit between the Vikings and Packers in the AFC North standings, and divisional wins are crucial if Cousins' squad hopes to claw back to .500 and into playoff contention.
Vikings Nation! Check out the latest Minnesota Vikings Schedule and dive into the Vikings Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.
