Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players that must shine vs. Packers in Week 2

1. Dalvin Cook

The final player that is going to have to shine for Minnesota during a tough Week 2 showdown against Green Bay on Sunday afternoon is promising young running back Dalvin Cook.

Cook looked really good during the Vikings victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the regular season opener last Sunday in Minneapolis, and that performance will have to continue to be the trend for Minnesota if it wants to come out victorious on the road at Lambeau Field while taking on the Packers for the first time in the 2019 season.

Cook finished the Week 1 contest against a tough opponent in Atlanta with a game-high 111 yards rushing on 21 carries. With an average of 5.3 yards per carry and a game-long rush of 22 yards, Cook ended the game with two touchdowns in the opening half of the game to help Minnesota jump out in front early on at home.

It was good to see Cook back on the field and looking like the player we saw flashes of early on in his career. It was also good to see Cook back to looking like he is fully healthy after suffering from a few different injuries to begin his professional tenure since breaking into the league in 2017.

Cook played a really big part in Minnesota’s success during its win over Atlanta in Week 1, setting the tone early on in the contest while helping the Vikings balance things out more offensively with not having to be forced to air out the ball as often.

In Sunday’s game against Green Bay, it will be very important for Cook to continue to help the Vikings set a similar tone early on in the road contest if Minnesota wants to ultimately exit Lambeau field with an undefeated record of 2-0.