12-24-2019, 08:01 PM
How much did the Vikings miss Dalvin Cook?
The running back’s absence, because of a pair of chest and shoulder injuries, made sense on Monday night as the Vikings try to get ready for the playoffs, and he figures to sit against the Bears again on Sunday.
But with Cook out (and with Mattison missing, for that matter), the Vikings’ offense had a fundamentally different look; they weren’t able to press the ball to the perimeter without Cook’s unique speed and balance, and Cousins seemed to miss the running back as a receiving option.
Plays like the jet sweep the Vikings ran to Thielen in the third quarter — when they got one yard on a 3rd-and-2 — might have been called differently if offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski could turn to Cook instead on an outside zone play.
The difference was also noteworthy on the first drive, when Cousins threw for C.J. Ham on second and third downs from the Packers’ 5. The toss play the Vikings usually run to Cook in those situations has become their go-to option, and his absence showed up as much in the occasions where they needed a few yards as it did in their lack of big plays.
Cook hadn’t run for more than 100 yards since the Cowboys game on Nov. 10, as his injuries and game circumstances kept him from some opportunities, but Monday night served as a reminder of how much the Vikings need him. Especially if they have to trade scores with a team like New Orleans — their current first-round matchup if the current standings hold — the Vikings will need Cook (and Mattison, for that matter) at their disposal
http://www.startribune.com/in-win-over-v...566461172/
