5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers – Week 8

Cook will be the key to the Vikings offense

The Vikings offense has resembled the life of that old snowblower in your garage. After taking it out for the six inches of snow that fell in the Twin Cities last week, you pull repeatedly on the cord trying to get it to start and it won’t turn over. Just when you’re about to give up, you give it one last pull, the engine starts and it finally clears a path that will let you get out of the driveway.

For the Vikings, Dalvin Cook has resembled the cord that starts the engine. In Week 1, the Vikings could never get Cook going and it resulted in a nearly 2-to-1 difference in time of possession. That enabled the Packers to jump out to a big lead and when the Vikings did get going, it was too late.

Coming into Sunday’s game the Vikings will have to pull like hell on their ripcord to get going. With the dominance that the Packers’ front seven has shown against the Vikings offensive line, it would be a better idea to attack them with the run. Green Bay ranks 22nd in defensive DVOA against the ground game, so a healthy dose of Cook might be the key to an upset.

The question is, will Cook be available for a full workload? Cook missed the Week 6 loss to Atlanta with a groin injury, but he practiced Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If he can handle the ball 20-25 times on Sunday, the Vikings have the chance to stay competitive.