Top 5 moments from the Vikings’ Week 1 win over the 49ers

5. Dalvin Cook returns

No one was really sure how much the Vikings would use Cook on Sunday given the type of injury he was returning from. But it didn’t really seem like his knee was a concern for Minnesota as the running back essentially had a similar workload this week to what he had during his time on the field last season.

From the Vikings’ first offensive play of the game on Sunday, it was clear that Cook was ready to pick up right where he left off last year.

In the first half against the 49ers, the Minnesota running back already had a total of 69 yards on 11 touches. Cook eventually finished the game with 95 total yards (40 rushing, 55 receiving) on 22 touches.

He was more effective as a receiver out of the backfield this week. But either way, Cook still found a way to make an impact against San Francisco on Sunday.

His production began to slip a bit as the game got closer to the end. But that should be expected from a guy who hasn’t played in an entire NFL contest since last October, especially since he was on the field for 80 percent of Vikings offensive snaps on Sunday.

Even though Cook was unable to find the end zone this week, it was still encouraging to see that he was able to back on the field and play an important part in Minnesota’s offense.