Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds from Week 11 vs. Cowboys

Stud: Dalvin Cook

Over the course of the last few weeks especially and really over the entire season, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has been one of the top running backs in the NFL. On Sunday against Dallas, Cook once again led the ground game for Minnesota and put together a solid performance which has become a weekly occurrence for the running back.

In the game, Cook finished with a team-best mark of 115 yards rushing on 27 total carries, also finding the end zone once. Cook continues to make the case for being an MVP candidate at the end of the season and the Week 11 performance was just another example of why.

Dud: Vikings run defense

One of the biggest disappointments of Sunday’s game for Minnesota was its defensive effort against the Dallas running game. During the game, the Vikings did an alright job of holding the Cowboys passing attack in check, but the run game for Dallas came up with a few big plays throughout the contest.

As a team, the Cowboys finished with 29 rush attempts for 182 yards and one touchdown, led by Ezekiel Elliott with 21 carries for 103 yards and Tony Pollard with five carries for 60 yards and one touchdown.

The Vikings defense has played better as of late, but their run defense in Week 11 took a bit of a step back.