The 8 N.F.L. Stars Who Powered Their Teams to the Playoffs
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The Vikings ran the ball 476 times this season, fourth most in the league. But, defying the N.F.L. trend toward running-back-by-committee, the bulk of those went to one man: Dalvin Cook.
Cook was handed the ball 250 times in all, gaining 1,135 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. He also caught 53 passes for an average gain of nearly 10 yards. All of those numbers were easily the best of his three-year career.
Cook didn’t lead the league in anything, except, perhaps, certainty. The Vikings (and their opponents) knew they were going to get him the ball. They knew he would do the right things once he got it.
His speed and ability to cut were on display most notably in a 75-yard run at Green Bay in Week 2 that put the league on notice. With only Cook in the backfield, it hardly seemed like a play that would bring anything unexpected: a routine off tackle. But Cook went left, cut sharply right, accelerated and eluded a diving safety on the way to a touchdown.
When you are sending out quarterback Kirk Cousins to face the likes of Drew Brees or Jimmy Garoppolo, it helps to have a little something extra. For the Vikings, that’s Dalvin Cook.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/sports/football/nfl-playoffs-most-valuable-player.html?emc=rss&partner=rss