Rookie Report: Minnesota vs New Orleans Saints in week 1
By Jordan Ison
The Minnesota Vikings got some help from some big name rookies in their opening day victory at home over the New Orleans Saints in week 1 of the NFL season.
The Minnesota Vikings got started on the right foot on Monday Night. A strong offensive performance coupled with a stronger defensive performance helped the Vikings to a 29-19 win over the Saints.
While some obvious names like Stefon Diggs and Sam Bradford stepped up big on Monday, the Vikings’ rookies played a big role in the game. From a record-breaking performance to a much better looking O-line, the rookies came to play in the opening game.
First of all, there was Dalvin Cook. The hype around his debut as a Minnesota Viking was built up, and he let nobody down. Cook had 127 rushing yards on 22 attempts while catching 3 passes for 10 yards.
Even though Cook didn’t find the end zone in his rookie debut, he gave Minnesota much more than a touchdown: hope. He also broke Adrian Peterson’s Vikings’ rookie rushing record by 24 yards in front of AP, which was great to see.
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If this is a sign of things to come, Dalvin Cook is in for a big year. But he can’t do it alone. The offensive line was undoubtedly the most surprising part of the Vikings’ opening day game.
The O-Line
With 5 new starters up front, the lone rookie stood out in his own way. Pat Elflein, center, helped to create a solid pocket for Bradford to make some great passes downfield. As a Vikings’ fan, it was amazing to see Sam given some time to make plays and make plays he did. Elflein helped Bradford to avoid a middle blitz on almost every play, allowing him to step into and make some great deep passes.
Finally, another rookie to make his debut Monday night was Ben Gedeon. While he didn’t make a spark quite like Cook or Elflein, he definitely had some positive plays. He got beat on one seam route in the third quarter, but that’s to be expected from a rookie linebacker. Gedeon finished with 2 total tackles.
Next: Vikings Ups and Downs from Week One
We all knew rookies would have a big impact on the Vikings’ 2017 campaign, but it’s great to see them shake off the nerves on opening day and have a great showing. Even if it’s just one game, these rookies help to give Vikings’ fans reason for hope this season.