The Vikings need to cut back on Dalvin Cook’s touches for more than one reason
Joe Johnson
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As I openly wondered during the week leading up to today’s pivotal match-up between then 6-7 Chicago and the then 6-7 Minnesota Vikings, how much Dalvin Cook is too much? Then I stumbled across the “Curse of 370”, which sounds like something you’d find on the print out from my latest EKG, but actually refers to the tendency for running backs who accrue 370 or more touches in a single season to fall apart the subsequent year.
Now that the Vikings are (mostly) out of playoff contention, they need to limit Dalvin Cook’s touches. I’m not saying they need to bench him, or even not run the offense through him, but the games with 30 touches shouldn’t be the reality in two mostly meaningless games against the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions.
Cook has worked tirelessly to make it through a full season uninjured and while he didn’t quite get there this season, after missing a game earlier this season with a groin pull, the last thing this Vikings team needs is for Dalvin to get injured in the last two games.
Despite how we all feel right now, the Vikings did show some guts after the bye and if not for the copious amounts of injuries (and that COVID opt out) on defense, who knows what could’ve been.
The offense looks great despite the frustrating play calling, the pass offense looks set for years to come as an elite threat, the offensive line is one guard away from being good, and the defense has shown strides this year without Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks as of late, or even a literal nose tackle.
Those are things to build on in 2021.
Losing Dalvin could completely throw that potential out the window. Plus, it’d be nice to actually allow this hyper-talented offense to air it out for a change.
How many times did the announcers on Fox today bring up the fact that the Vikings not going deep despite the Bears’ secondary issues?
So this is not just a self/Dalvin preservation issue. It’s also a chance for this offense to move into the 21st century and take advantage of Justin Jefferson/Adam Thielen/Irv Smith Jr./Tyler Conklin and so we might have a good dry run for a more balanced and explosive 2021 purple offense.
Seems win-win. Then again, you wouldn’t ask Derrick Henry to do that.