The Minnesota Vikings will visit the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9. For the Vikings to prevail over the Chiefs on Sunday, they are going to need a monstrous performance from Dalvin Cook.
Through the first eight weeks of the season, Cook leads the entire NFL in rushing yards (823) and rushing touchdowns (nine). With him leading the way, Minnesota owns the third-best rushing offense in the NFL with 160.1 rushing yards per game.
On the other side, Kansas City has struggled against the run thus far. In their first eight games, the Chiefs have given up the third-most rushing yards per game (145). Additionally, they have also allowed opposing teams to average a whopping 4.9 yards per attempt (third-worst in the NFL).
With that in mind, Cook should be able to get into a rhythm on Sunday against the Chiefs. Of course, if Cooks can do some damage, then Kirk Cousins and the passing attack should see some success as well.
Most importantly, Cook needs to have a big-time performance to keep Kansas City's offense off of the field. Regardless of it is Matt Moore or Patrick Mahomes under center, Andy Reid seems to find ways to get his offense into a groove.
Up to this point, the Vikings have had possession of the ball for 30 minutes and 39 seconds per game (12th in the NFL). There's no doubt that Kevin Stefanski, Vikings' offensive coordinator, will use Cook and Alexander Mattison to control the clock.
This game is an important one for the Vikings in the grand scheme of things. First and foremost, with a win, they can remain within striking distance of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The Packers lead the division with a 7-1 record while Minnesota sits at second with a 6-2 record.
On the other hand, a loss could move the Vikings into the group of teams who are competing for a Wild-Card spot. Especially considering that Minnesota will have four more games against teams with a record above .500 after Week 9.
Over the past month, the Vikings offense (mainly Cousins) has been rejuvenated. This is due to the rushing attack being able to help set up their play-action offense. Therefore, it will be of the utmost importance for Dalvin Cook to have another productive outing this Sunday.
While the Packers continue to thrive under Matt LaFleur, the Vikings need to be able to steal a game on the road against an injury-riddled Chiefs team. To achieve that, Dalvin Cook has to be the focal point of Minnesota's offense once again.
Follow Us
Subscribe