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Minnesota Vikings: 3 Vital statistics for 2019 season

By Russell S. Baxter

DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 23, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 23, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 25: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball for a 26 yard touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 25: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball for a 26 yard touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

30

Yes, that’s the number of touchdown passes thrown by Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins in his first season with the club. But it’s also a number that didn’t bode well for Mike Zimmer’s team this past year.

Only the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers finished with fewer yards per game on the ground this past season than this Minnesota squad, putting them at 30th in the league in rushing. This past year, the combination of a disappointing offensive line and injuries in the backfield combined to make this a one-dimensional offense for the majority of 2018.

Running back Dalvin Cook was a second-round pick in 2017 and, when on the field, he has certainly shown his talent. Four games into his rookie season, he suffered a knee injury that shelved him for the remainder of the year.

This past season, he led the team with 615 yards on the ground (three touchdowns) and was fourth on the club with 40 catches, good for 305 yards and a pair of scores. But he also played in only 11 contests, meaning the former Florida State standout has actually missed more games (17) than he has played in (15) these first two years in the league.

Cook hopes to stay on the field this fall. The Vikings used a third-round pick on Alexander Mattison (Boise State) in April. Former Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah remains on the roster and the club recently added De’Angelo Henderson. Regardless of how, the Minnesota ground game needs to improve dramatically.

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