7 takeaways from the Vikings’ win over the Falcons in Week 1

Cook’s potential for this season is sky high

There were few players inside the Vikings’ locker room on Sunday who were more excited for the team’s first game of the season than running back Dalvin Cook.

Cook, who is finally feeling healthy after two injury-filled years, basically lit the field on fire with his performance this week. He ended the afternoon with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, but he probably could have gained even more yards if Minnesota needed him to.

Immediately on Sunday, Cook reminded everyone how much talent he still possesses. His first three carries against the Falcons went for 13, 21, and 19 yards and later on in the matchup he had rushing attempts that resulted in gains of 21 and 22 yards.

It’s exciting to see Cook go out and play like he did this week. But the Vikings also witnessed a similar performance from him during their season-opener in 2017, only to see him go down with a torn ACL three weeks later.

If Cook can stay healthy for the majority of the year and continue to perform like he did against Atlanta, he’s going to emerge as one of the top running backs in the NFL by the end of the season.