It was a frustrating wait-and-see for the superstar running back. Thankfully for Minnesota, Cook will be back and ready to roll after a stay on the COVID list. вЂ¦ WeвЂ™re going to miss him out there on the football field.вЂќ Since I got here, heвЂ™s been a true brotherвЂ¦not even football related, just being there for me. Hope he gets everything intact and gets right. Cook spoke about ThielenвЂ™s absence on Wednesday, per Chris Tomasson of The Pioneer Press. However, like many other factors, Jefferson missing his tag-team partner will make it easier for the Vikings to focus on the ground game. Justin Jefferson will always be a problem for the defense, and he should be a massive part of any game plan the Vikings put together. The weather will make it far easier to decide to lean on the ground attack because Cook is one of the best in the business, and Minnesota will be without a critical component of their passing game.ДЄdam Thielen underwent season-ending surgery on his ankle and will be out until next season. In his career, Cook has run all over Green Bay, and the Packers have been getting gashed by opposing ground games recently. Considering all the elements, itвЂ™s setting up quite nicely for the VikingsвЂ™ offense. The Weather Channel has the temperature hovering around two degrees on Sunday night, a perfect recipe to ride the ground game. The weather forecast for Sunday night is beautiful, depending who you ask. IвЂ™m not suggesting that Minnesota abandons the passing game, but two significant factors should have them leaning heavily into Cook. He accumulated over 100 combined yards and chipped in a touchdown in their matchup earlier this season. Cook has to be drooling at the box score.Д¬ook has had great success against the Packers throughout his career. As a team, the Browns averaged a staggering 8.8 yards per pop. On Christmas Day, Nick Chubb gobbled up 126 yards on 7.4 yards per carry. The defense has been shredded, especially by the ground game. But the PackersвЂ™ defense has recently reverted to its old ways under Mike Pettine and Dom Capers. Their marquee moment was a 17-0 shoutout of Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.

Green BayвЂ™s defense hit its stride in the middle of the season. Given all the ingredients going into this game, and with Cook coming off the COVID list on Wednesday, they should feed him early and often. He chipped in 63 receiving yards and had a touchdown reception. This Sunday night, the Vikings should employ a similar game plan.Д¬ook ran wild against the Packers, to the tune of 163 yards on 30 carries and three rushing touchdowns. But the Vikings won that game 28-22 behind a massive performance from Dalvin Cook. Green Bay was 5-1 and rolling along with a dominant offense. Last season, the Minnesota Vikings entered Lambeau Field with a 1-5 record, and everything seemed lost.

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