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Dalvin Cook took off to his left and passed body after body — some wearing the same purple colors as him, others in the silver, blue and white of the Detroit Lions. Only one Lion caught up to him, and he had an angle. Before skidding five yards from the end zone, Cook traveled 70 yards.
“He tripped me up. I was supposed to score. I’ve got to get that third leg down,” Cook said with a laugh. “He had a great angle, and good effort by him. I’ve just got to have better wheels than that.”
Better wheels? You’d need something with an engine in it to find better wheels.
During his run, Cook went faster than any ballcarrier in the NFL this season — 22.03 miles per hour, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
When he heard he cracked 22 mph, even Cook was impressed.
“I ran faster than Tyreek? That’s good, man,” Cook said, referring to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who often is called the NFL’s fastest man.
Cook just put himself into that conversation.
“Somebody timed me that fast, that’s good,” Cook said. “I ain’t no slow guy but running faster than Tyreek, that’s fast, man.”
Two plays after Cook’s 22-mph run, Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass to his favorite receiver, Adam Thielen, and the Vikings were comfortably on their way to Sunday’s 24-9 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Cook can help beat a defense with a run or a reception. And if only he could beat back the injuries that have hijacked 17 of 25 games these past two seasons, the Vikings would be a far more dangerous team.
Imagine the weaponry at the disposal of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo if only Cook could remain healthy.
Cousins. Thielen. Diggs. Rudolph. Cook.
The difference between winning and losing in the NFL can come down to an if-only. The Jacksonville Jaguars might have a winning record if only Leonard Fournette hadn’t gotten hurt. The San Francisco 49ers might not be one of the worst teams in the league if only Jimmy Garoppolo hadn’t wrecked his knee.
The Vikings might be a contender if only Dalvin Cook can keep body parts in working order.
Last year, it was a knee injury that swiped the final dozen games of the regular season. At the time of the injury, Cook was third in the league in rushing behind Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt and the Rams’ Todd Gurley. This season, a hamstring injury kept him out of five games.
“It’s night and day with him and without him,” Thielen said. “He’s a dynamic football player. He’s a big play waiting to happen at all times. The great part about him is he can block, he can run, he can catch. He can make make people miss. He can be a physical guy. He can be a speed guy. It’s just so fun to watch.”
It is fun to watch. When Cook is out there.
Sunday, he ran 10 times for 89 yards and caught four passes for another 20 yards.
“Just give him a crease and it’s 80 yards later. He just has that explosive-play ability,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said. “It’s good to get him back out there and get his feet wet before going into the bye. Now he can go into the bye, rest up and be ready to go for our last seven games because he’s a big part of our offense and we’re going to need him.”
If only Cook can avoid more injuries. Some players get that injury-prone label, and many don’t want to think or talk about being hurt. Cook is like that.
After Sunday’s game, Cook sidestepped questions related to injuries. Asked if his left hamstring injury might have been caused by favoring his surgically left repaired knee, Cook said, “I don’t want to answer that question.”
Then, asked what it has been like to miss so many games, he said, “Next question.”
He had so little interest in injury chitchat that he was far more comfortable talking about the pitch from Kirk Cousins that he couldn’t handle and was recovered by the Lions.
“It’s a timing thing. I’ve got to catch that,” Cook said. “I’ve got to make that play. Good players make that play.”
And to be a good player, it takes staying healthy and playing in games. Cook has played in just eight games in nearly two NFL seasons.
“I missed 16 games in my first four years,” Rudolph said. “You learn how to take care of your body. You learn what this game does to it, the physicality that is brought each and every Sunday. He’ll learn how to take care of his body. That’s just part of growing up in this league. Everybody deals with it.”
Cook is in that learning phase, though he claims to have a handle on things when he actually plays.
“When you’re out there, it’s just balls to the wall,” he said. “When I’m out there, I’m going to give 100 percent. I’m just thinking about making plays. That’s what’s on my mind.”
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