5 Vikings players to watch in Week 1 against the Falcons

Dalvin Cook – RB

Dalvin Cook‘s story is well documented. He looks amazing out on the field when healthy and he is truly capable of being one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL.

He just can’t stay healthy. However, this is the year Cook can shed the frail label and finally get a full season under his belt to show the world what he can do.

The Vikings were very safe with Cook this preseason. He only carried the ball twice, but one of them resulted in an 85-yard touchdown scamper against the Arizona Cardinals. That run only got Minnesota fans more excited of his potential this year.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Vikings use him during their matchup with the Falcons on Sunday. Will Minnesota offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski give Cook a full workload of 20 to 25 touches? The running back averaged about 13 carries per game a season ago, so that would be a significant increase.

It’ll also be interesting to see how often Cook is used in the passing game. He caught about 3.5 passes a contest in 2018 and one would think that number will go up this season.

Another thing to watch will be how much Vikings rookie Alexander Mattison is mixed in. How he’s used in this first game will give Minnesota fans an idea of how this split might work during the rest of the year.

If Mattison just gets some short-yardage and goal-line looks, then he likely won’t cut much into Cook’s overall workload this season. If the rookie is given a series or two, the two backs might become something closer to a tandem than many were expecting.

Cook is sitting on potential a big year and how he’s used this week will go a long way in showing what kind of numbers we might be able to expect from him this season.