The Minnesota Vikings are going through a bit of a rough stretch of the season with their offense struggling to find its way, as the team has dropped two out of their last three contests.
Their running attack was again a non-factor as it has been throughout the season, currently ranking in the bottom tier in the league at 31st in rushing through 10 games. Head coach Mike Zimmer acknowledged that the team needs to see more improvement running the ball the rest of the season, according to Dane Mizutani of Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
Article Continues Below“I do think there’s times we need to stick with it a little bit more,” Zimmer said the day after the Vikings ran the ball 14 times for 22 yards against the Bears, who rushed 39 times for 148 yards. “You’ve got to keep at it.”
The Vikings have been largely dependent on their passing game to lead the charge on a weekly basis behind the play of Kirk Cousins' arm along with the playmaking ability of both star wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. This has essentially made Minnesota one-dimensional, with opposing teams honing in on stopping the pass with their running game being non-apparent.
This is at least partially due to second-year running back Dalvin Cook working his way back to speed after missing much of the season due to a hamstring injury. Cook didn't make much of an impact in the Vikings' 25-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, rushing for 12 yards on nine carries along with one fumble and three receptions for -2 yards in the contest. The Vikings need him to be a factor in the offense if the team hopes to take steps forward over the final six games played.
This has to start with their Week 12 action against the Green Bay Packers, who present a favorable matchup for Minnesota to get it going on the ground as they rank 24th in the league against the rush. The Vikings know exactly what they must do to get back on track, and running the ball with more frequency will be a part of the equation.