The Minnesota Vikings running back set a goal of 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2020. But will things go his way to make that output a reality?
The Minnesota Vikings took a step in the right direction offensively last year making the switch from John DeFilippo to Kevin Stefanski. While the offense went from a pass-based attack under DeFilippo to a run-based offense under Stefanski, the unit didn’t lose its explosiveness even when Adam Thielen went down with a hamstring injury.
A big reason for the offense’s success was the play of Dalvin Cook, who put the Vikings on his back under the new zone scheme. Fueled by a season of good health and better use of his talents, Cook put together a strong season in 2019, collecting a total of 1,654 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games.
A year like that can catapult any player into superstardom, but when bombarded on the streets of New York City for an impromptu interview with TMZ, Cook stated that he thinks he is capable of gaining 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2020.
The number is a common milestone throughout NFL history, but only three backs (Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, and Saquon Barkley) have accomplished the feat in the past two seasons and McCaffrey was the only back to reach that milestone in 2019, making an outlandish headline seem like a solid goal.
For Cook, several variables will come into play when it comes to reaching 2,000 total yards in 2020. With a potential contract showdown, his health, and his usage coming into play, Cook enters an extremely important season which could either solidify his tenure in Minnesota or see him in another uniform as early as 2021.