It’s quite alarming seeing many Vikings fans saying that they want the team to move on Dalvin Cook, I don’t think many fans really understand the impact Dalvin Cook has on the offense, whether it’s him actually rushing or the pressure he takes off Kirk Cousins. There are two major points in this article, One is the Impact Dalvin Cook has on the Vikings offense, and two is the difference between him and Alexander Mattison.
The Impact Dalvin Cook has on the Vikings Offense:
Many people don’t really understand the impact Cook has on the Vikings offense, it seems to be a common trend with the Vikings offense whenever Cook is “cooking” the rest of the offense seems to be on point, mainly Kirk Cousins. The reason I bring up Kirk Cousins is because we all know how well he plays when everything around him is clicking and that starts with Cook, who opens up the bootleg for Cousins and also leaves the defense guessing. People may argue Mattison can do that too but I will get into that on my next point.
The Difference between Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison:
I will start by saying I’m a big fan of Alexander Mattison and I will acknowledge that he stepped in for Cook and played greatly multiple times in the past couple seasons. People think that Mattison is a tougher and more reliable runner than Cook, and I can agree with that but Cook’s Acceleration and Agility are something that Mattison can not come close to replicating. With how well the run blocking of the Vikings has been this season I think Cook’s traits are far more valuable than Mattison, and we don’t know if Mattison can consistently break down a defense like Cook still has shown he can do.
