EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Come Monday, a boatload of attention will be placed on the run game of a team that finished in the middle of the pack last season and another rushing attack that wound up dead last.
It’s not those bland stats that are drawing eyeballs. It’s who’s in those backfields that matters.
Aside from Adrian Peterson's return to Minnesota when the Minnesota Vikings (who finished 32nd in rushing in 2016) host the New Orleans Saints (who finished 16th) in their season opener on Monday Night Football, the rest of the marvel lies with the Vikings second-round pick Dalvin Cook, who is aiming to prove he should have been taken higher in the 2017 NFL draft.
Without yet playing in a regular season game, Cook has already reached a career milestone by being named the Vikings' starting running back. While the news just recently became official, it has been the expectation ever since Cook emerged early in the preseason while Latavius Murray was sidelined with an ankle injury.
No stranger to playing in big games during his record-setting career at Florida State, Cook eagerly awaits his NFL debut where he’ll have eight family members and friends present among of a crowd of more than 65,000.
The bright lights, noise and atmosphere are part of a moment he’s certainly pictured before, but it is now just six days away from becoming reality.
“I ain’t picture it like this, in one of the best stadiums in the country, one of the best environments, one of the best fan bases,” Cook said. “Its going to be a great experience. I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else.”
When asked about his memories of watching the player he’s replacing in Minnesota, Cook praised Peterson’s “do-it-all” abilities. He has an idea what to expect when the Vikings' all-time rusher returns to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time in an opposing uniform.
It’s why the most critical aspect of his own game plan is remaining true to what he does best -- the things that landed him in a starting role in the first place.
“That’s going to be the key, to stick the course and be me,” he said. “Don’t try to stick out and be anybody else. Be me. Be the best version of me for my team, because that’s what I’m going to be for this team … Be the best version of Dalvin and go out there and give 100 percent.”
Whether it was his ability to pass block, his field vision or how quickly he grasped the playbook and understood protections, Cook impressed the Vikings coaching staff early in his rookie campaign.
The confidence he exudes is tangible, and it has helped him earn the respect of his coaches and teammates while aiding him in quickly grasping the Vikings' run scheme.
It came as no surprise to the Vikings of how seamless Cook’s transition has been from a rookie draft pick trying to prove himself to Week 1 starter and how he been able to shoulder all the responsibility that comes with it.
“I don’t think there’s been much difference at all,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said. “I think he came in with the mindset that Dalvin is a pretty confident player and his skill set has shown the same thing. I don’t think there’s been any real difference in his attitude or anything else.”