Last season wasn’t quite what Minnesota Vikings fans were hoping for.
A year after the Vikings finished 6-10 and reached the divisional round after an unexpected overtime win against the New Orleans Saints, the 2020 season fell short of expectations.
The Vikings lost their first three games of the season on the way to a 7-9 mark, the worst record since 2014. They then finished third in NFC Nord and missed the postseason.
On Friday, Minnesota’s superstar Dalvin Cook came to Colin Cowherd to discuss what went wrong for the Vikings in 2020. And Cook already has a successful 2021 in his sights despite the franchise’s struggles last season.
“We just didn’t get our groove. We just didn’t get the continuity we needed and we were all hurt, but I think this year will be a big year for us for the Vikings.”
It was a campaign roller coaster ride for Minnesota in 2020.
After Minnesota started the season with a disappointing 1-5 record, he bounced back and won five of his next six to reach 6-6.
Despite the way back to 500 and in the NFC wildcard conversation, the Vikings went 1: 3 at the end of the year.
Injuries, especially defense, plagued the team throughout the year as several starting defensive linemen were sidelined, including the defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks.
As a result, the Vikings finished the season with 29.7 points per game, the fourth worst in the NFL.
Some of the pre-season stumbling blocks could be due to Cook’s lack of action.
In the first three losses of the season, Cook averaged just 16 goals per game. The Vikings’ first win of the season came in Week 4 against the Houston Texans, when Cook broke out for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 29 touches.
Cook finished the race with a total of 1,918 yards and 17 touchdowns from 356 touches. His 1,557 rushing yards were 111.2 yards per game and he had 16 rushing touchdowns, the second most common in the league.
“I’ve put a lot of work into it and trust my preparation and the people I used to get me ready to play,” Cook told Cowherd about his individual success. “Every year I think my game will develop into something special.”
And Cook wasn’t the only attacking star for Minnesota as rookie Justin Jefferson also had a record season.
Despite being the fifth recipient behind Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Jalen Reagor, Jefferson quickly earned the league’s best rookie recipient title.
He finished the season fourth in yards (1,400) and ninth among all receivers in yards per reception (15.9), while resetting the franchise’s rookie record in both receiving yards and touchdowns (7).
Best of all, Cook believes Jefferson hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s capable of.
“I think JJ his ceiling is so high,” said Cook. “If he continues to be who he is and continues to work hard, I think he can be one of the best at the game.”
Check out Colin’s entire interview with Cook:
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