MINNEAPOLIS — Dalvin Prepare dinner gingerly walked up to the podium, sans sneakers, subsequent the Minnesota Vikings’ thrilling 36-28 earn over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night time.
“My feet hurt,” Cook dinner claimed. “You’ve got gotta give the pet dogs a break. I am great, even though.”
The Vikings working again unquestionably deserved to kick his ft up immediately after rushing for 205 yards and two touchdowns towards the Steelers in his more rapidly-than-predicted return from a shoulder injuries.
Just 11 times just after Cook dinner dislocated his shoulder in San Francisco, an harm that stored him out of past week’s loss at beforehand winless Detroit, he lined up in the backfield and relished the most working room he has witnessed all time. Cook established a franchise report with 153 speeding yards in the first fifty percent, and he wanted only 14 carries to do it. As a group, the Vikings finished with 5.1 yards for every hurry just before get hold of versus the Steelers, according to ESPN Stats & Data.
“The holes were massive all night time,” Cook explained. “So you’ve got gotta give individuals fellas credit up entrance. They are my guys. They did a fantastic occupation of blocking for me tonight. Receivers, limited ends, every person did a good work of blocking for me tonight. I am just hitting holes and trying to find some house out there.”
Prepare dinner wore the identical harness to help his still left shoulder that he wore in 2019, when he experienced a similar injuries. He was originally predicted to miss two video games just after he was carted off the industry in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s loss at San Francisco in 7 days 12. He missed Sunday’s loss to the Lions but was mentioned as questionable for Thursday night’s video game right after being a limited participant at apply Tuesday and Wednesday.
Coach Mike Zimmer said he was explained to immediately after exercise Tuesday that Prepare dinner had a great opportunity of taking part in, given how perfectly he had been progressing with his rehab.
“I imagine he is a warrior,” Zimmer reported. “He will come out and competes. He is a good chief. He is a great competitor. He wants to play. Eric Sugarman, our trainer, texted him right now and claimed, ‘Hey, are you guaranteed you are Ok and good to go?’ He explained, ‘I have no regrets, I’m great to go.’ He mentioned, ‘That’s why I do this, I want to perform.’
“Which is the sort of dude he is. There was no question in his head he was enjoying tonight.”
Prepare dinner, 26, has rushed for 978 yards and 6 touchdowns in 10 games this season and also has 28 receptions. He is the NFL’s next-leading rusher — alongside with Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon — even with lacking 3 games and is third in the league in regular hurrying yards for every game at 97.8.
The Vikings (6-7) had dominated out large receiver Adam Thielen (ankle) and rookie offensive deal with Christian Darrisaw (ankle) for Thursday night’s video game.
The Affiliated Push contributed to this report.
