Minnesota Vikings: Dalvin Cook lays foundation for offense going forward

The Minnesota Vikings had their best offensive performance of the 2018 season on Sunday, thanks in large part to Dalvin Cook and the running game.

The Minnesota Vikings offense didn’t have to work very hard in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins. That’s because running back Dalvin Cook finally emerged as the focal point of an offense that’s been begging for a play maker over the past few weeks.

The big headline last week was the firing of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo following the Vikings’ Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Mike Zimmer promptly promoted quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski to interim offensive coordinator, and it appears to have been the right decision.

It didn’t take long for Stefanski to establish his footprint in the Vikings offense. Minnesota’s running backs rushed the ball for a combined 34 attempts against the Dolphins, 19 of which went to Dalvin Cook. Latavius Murray racked up 15 carries of his own, but there was a stark difference between the two runners.

Although Murray rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, good enough for a healthy 4.5-yards per carry average, Cook was the clear star of the show.

Rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Cook posted a whopping 7.2-yards per carry, showing the coaching staff what he’s truly capable of when given a full workload. He also caught one pass for 27 yards.

Cook’s emergence this season has been long awaited by Vikings fans. Before Sunday he was averaging just 11 carries per game (eight games played) and had yet to crack the 100-yard mark. Sunday’s performance against the Dolphins solidified the need to feed Cook the ball more.

His 19 carries were a season-high and appears to be a solid benchmark for his effectiveness. Splitting carries with Murray allowed for Cook to stay fresh enough throughout the game while also being effective when called upon.

After the game, Cook’s teammates were extremely happy for him. Receiver Adam Thielen was hardly shocked by his big day, telling ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, “That’s the guy we see every day in practice, the guy that we’ve been waiting on to give those opportunities to and carry this offense.”

The Vikings knew the kind of play maker Cook was when they drafted him, and Mike Zimmer clearly wasn’t satisfied with how much work he was getting under John DeFilippo’s play calling, basically confirmed by Thielen.

“We know that’s what kind of player he (Cook) is and what he means to this offense. We’re going to need that moving forward and we’re going to ride that into the rest of the year,” Thielen added.

Cook’s ability in the running game opens up opportunities for the rest of the offense. Defenses must respect his explosiveness and the chance he could break a long run on any given play. This allows the play-action game to develop, taking more pressure off the shoulders of quarterback Kirk Cousins and the passing game.

Cook currently has 503 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on just 106 carries. He’s also added 249 yards and two touchdowns through the air on 33 receptions. After missing a few games due to a hamstring injury earlier this season, Cook should have plenty left in the tank to close out 2018.

Sunday’s game against Miami showed the blueprint for the Vikings offense moving forward. It’s become clear the key to success throughout the rest of the season rides with Dalvin Cook.