Minnesota Vikings: Dalvin Cook could come back to reality in Week 10

Dalvin Cook has been a superstar for the Vikings but could fall back to Earth against the Bears.

At the midway point in the 2020 NFL season, there have been few players playing better than Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has. Not only just at his position but throughout the league, Cook has been one of the top performers of the year thus far and has already pushed himself into the conversation of MVP candidates in the NFL.

At the halfway mark of the 2020 campaign, the fourth-year running back has proved to us why he is one of the most elite running backs and potent players in the league, and his statistics have directly reflected that while leading Minnesota on the offensive side of the ball.

While taking the field in eight of the nine regular season games for the Vikings this year, Cook enters the NFC North matchup on Monday Night Football in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears leading the NFL or sitting near the top of numerous rushing categories.

In eight contests, Cook has tallied 858 rushing yards, which is second in the league behind only Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (946), who has played in 10 games so far in 2020. Cook has also recorded 144 rush attempts (fifth-most in NFL), 48 first downs (tied for most in NFL) and has a league-best 12 rushing touchdowns, three more than any other running back.

Cook has been able to also make an impact in the passing game as well, recording 16 catches for 173 yards and one touchdown for the Vikings.

In the last few games, Cook’s game has somehow been able to turn up to the next level, putting up eye-popping numbers most recently on the road in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers and at home last week in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions. In those two games, Cook averaged 26.5 carries for 184.5 yards and 2.5 touchdowns on the ground, also averaging 2.0 catches for 54.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.

Dalvin Cook’s electric run could be slowed down by the Bears in Week 10.

Even though he has been dominant to this point in the year, Cook might come back to reality a bit in Week 10 against Chicago on the road on Monday Night Football. The Bears, who feature a solid defense, might end up limiting the running back at least to some extend compared to what we’ve seen out of Cook in the last two weeks of play.

So far this season, Chicago’s defense has given up a decent amount of yardage in the run game to opposing offenses, but they have been able to limit the damage for the most part by the opposing running attack by keeping them out of the endzone.

Coming into the contest, the Bears have allowed 1,052 rushing yards (10th-most in the NFL), but have given up just six rushing touchdowns (tied for second-least in the NFL). Teams are also managing to average just 4.1 yards per carry against Chicago, which is tied for the sixth-least in the league.

The good news for Cook is that the Vikings will continue to focus on the ground game regardless of how he is performing in the game or if he is being as dominant as he has been to this point in the year. Minnesota is sitting near the top in the league in multiple rushing categories so far in 2020, coming into Week 10 ranking third in rushing yards (1,283), 13th in run attempts (235), first in yards per carry (5.5) and is tied for second in rushing touchdowns (13).

Cook could still have a solid performance and showing on Monday Night Football on the road in Chicago during Week 10, which would continue the recent trend we’ve seen out of the running back putting up eye-popping numbers out of the backfield.

But it’s likely that the running back will come back to reality a bit compared to what we have seen him do in the last few matchups against NFC North opponents.