7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings win over the Packers in Week 1

Minnesota didn’t forget about Cook

For the last few months, we’ve been hearing all about how the Vikings are switching to a pass-first offense under new head coach Kevin O’Connell. With this in mind, some have wondered how the new offensive scheme would utilize Dalvin Cook in 2022.

So far, it looks like Cook is still going to be a major part of Minnesota’s offense. On Sunday, the Vikings running back quietly led all players with 90 rushing yards while also averaging 4.7 yards per touch.

Unlike some of Minnesota’s recent seasons, Cook gained a lot of his yards on Sunday when the team was lined up in a shotgun formation. In the past, the Vikings utilized their top running back in a more traditional ground-and-pound way. But in their regular-season opener against the Packers, Cook was more of a compliment to the team’s passing attack.

Is this going to be how Minnesota uses Cook for the entire 2022 season? It’s possible, but it’s more likely that the Vikings will have a different strategy each week when it comes to how they’re going to take advantage of his skill set.