By Brian Murphy
September 14, 2017
Dalvin Cook of the Vikings carries the ball in the second half of the game against the Saints on Sept. 11, 2017, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Photo Credit: Getty Images / Hannah Foslien
Dalvin Cook is no gourmet, certainly not when left alone in the kitchen.
The rookie had the most productive debut of any Vikings running back when Cook carved up the New Orleans Saints for 127 yards on 22 carries in Monday night’s season-opening victory.
On Thursday he recounted the high energy of U.S. Bank Stadium, the anxiety of playing in prime time and was stressing the importance of preparation when teammate and faux locker room reporter Brian Robison crashed Cook’s media scrum with his unique curiosity.
“Hey, Dalvin, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done alone?”
There were chuckles all around, followed by an awkward silence.
“I almost burned the house down,” Cook admitted. “I got caught up in the whole Chef Cook thing. I tried to cook some food, some macaroni at that. The whole thing came out black. It didn’t turn out right.”
Just call him Chef Cook when he’s on the field.
Cook’s breakout performance was among several on the Vikings offense during their impressive 29-19 win over the Saints, which has their confidence soaring entering Sunday’s tough match-up against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
There was quarterback Sam Bradford’s precision downfield and potency in the red zone as he racked up 346 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught two scores. And fellow wideout Adam Thielen had 157 yards on nine receptions.
“We all had a lot of confidence in what we could do; we just needed a spark,” Thielen said. “We needed some kind of confidence-builder, and then when we get that, we just kept using that momentum and carried it through the game.”
Momentum, however, can be fleeting week to week in the NFL. The Steelers’ defense is more aggressive and formidable than anything the Saints threw at Minnesota, which will roll out its suddenly high-octane offense on the road for the first time.
Seven sacks, an interception and blocked punt for a touchdown were among the big plays Pittsburgh made without the ball in an ugly 21-18 victory at Cleveland.
Keeping Bradford clean in the pocket, which the Vikings’ offensive line did with aplomb in Week 1, is the top priority. It will be up to Thielen and Diggs to create quick separation from defenders to allow Bradford the same comfort he had reading and picking apart the Saints’ coverages.
“I feel like we can do anything but it’s all about preparing each and every day,” said Diggs. “We’ve got a new opportunity this week. Last week doesn’t really matter. The world saw that it’s all about consistency and continuing to do it at a high level. Monday’s in the past.”
Much has been made about Bradford’s production, but his steadiness in the huddle and the emotion he flashed Monday night has his teammates talking.
It is obvious this is Bradford’s team in 2017 after he spent most of last year trying to find his place in a locker room flush with strong personalities.
“Playing with emotion is kind of hard when you’re trying to keep it all together,” Diggs said. “This year that personality’s coming out and everybody gets excited when he is. I always believed in Sam. He throws a heck of a ball. I’m just happy it came to fruition all the hard work that we put in. The goal is to keep it going.”
Meanwhile, it wasn’t all gravy for Cook in Week 1.
He acknowledged missing some running lanes. The Vikings showcased him out of the backfield but he dropped several passes, which offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Cook lost in the lights.
Cook conceded the twilight start and U.S. Bank Stadium’s unique contours affected his ability to pick up the ball.
“It’s something I’ve got to get better at,” he said. “Go out there pregame and do a better job tracking the ball. There’s no excuse. I’ve got to get better at it.”
Lights will not be a factor Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Familiarity might be for Cook’s encore. No longer is he an unknown quantity. The Steelers have seen what he can do and are scheming against him.
How will Cook respond?
“Everything takes hard work,” he said. “You’ve got guys out there that have been in this league a long time. This game is definitely intense. It’s another level. It’s the NFL. You’ve got to prepare well. And once you prepare well, you just go out there and play.”
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