5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans – Week 4
By Chris Schad
Cook will have an encore of his Week 3 performance
One of the biggest issues for the Vikings during the first two weeks of the season was their inability to establish the run. Even though this will make Minnesota fans roll their eyes, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s old-school approach needs Dalvin Cook to get going to open everything up.
Cook had a career day in Week 3, running for 181 yards and helping lead the way to Justin Jefferson’s breakout party. With Cook in the mix, play-action was prominent in the rookie’s 71-yard touchdown reception and he made Kirk Cousins’ life easier when the quarterback wasn’t getting blasted by his own offensive line.
Heading into Houston, there are signs that Cook can have a similar day. The Texans rank last in the NFL allowing 188.3 yards per game entering Week 4. Houston also ranks 24th in defensive DVOA against the run and their 5.2 yards per carry allowed ranks 24th.
On top of the matchup, Kubiak said on Thursday that he wants to get more touches for Cook “somehow, some way.” The good news is that Kubiak happens to be the play-caller for the Vikings, so it would be easy to predict another big day for Cook.