Pundits React to Vikings Stressful Win Over…

Minnesota led 23-0 at halftime but saw Pittsburgh chip away throughout the second half. The Vikings were paced early on by running back Dalvin Cook, who ended up with 205 rushing yards and a pair of scores.

Graff wrote that Cook, who returned after a one-game absence from a shoulder injury, was the spark for the offense.

After Cook was stretchered off the field in San Francisco less than two weeks ago, the Vikings came up with a plan for their running back. He suffered the same injury at the end of the 2019 season, so they came up with nearly the same rehab plan.

He would miss two games, they thought, then return after that, as he did before a Wild Card Round playoff game against the Saints two years ago.

Instead, Cook’s rehab went more quickly than even they expected, and the captain made it clear to the team that he wanted to play in this game. So in a surprise move, the Vikings made Cook active, and he wore the same shoulder brace that he donned against the Saints two years before.

The result? One of the best games of his career. Cook set the franchise record for first-half rushing yards with 153, besting a mark Adrian Peterson set in 2012. He was aided by the best run blocking we’ve seen all season from the Vikings. Cook had the benefit of some massive holes and had several runs where he wasn’t even touched for 10 yards.