Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds vs. Lions in Week 14

Stud: Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook, who exited the contest on Monday Night Football in Week 13 in Seattle with what ended up being a chest or shoulder injury, looked to be back at full strength for the Vikings against the Lions and played a large role as usual in Minnesota coming away with another win.

In the game against Detroit in Week 14, Cook led the Vikings running game on the ground, finishing with a team-best 62 yards rushing and one touchdown on a total of 18 carries. Cook managed to average 3.4 yards per carry in the rushing attack in the victory.

Cook has been absolutely dominant for Minnesota in his third professional season here in 2019, and he once again played a large role in the Vikings coming out on top on in Week 14 at home.

Dud: Struggles in run defense

For really the last few seasons, one of Minnesota’s strong points on defense has been its ability to hold opponents in check on the ground and within the running game. After the Vikings struggled in that area of the game last week in a loss on the road against Seattle, Minnesota kicked off the game against Detroit on Sunday allowing the Lions to be able to start to get things rolling in the running game much like it did a week ago.

Detroit ultimately finished with just 70 yards rushing in the contest once the Vikings were able to step up that portion of their game in the final two quarters, but it’s something to keep an eye on moving forward in the final few games of the regular season.