Decision to release Dalvin Cook haunting winless Vikings

Starting running back Alexander Mattison rushed eight times for 22 yards against the Eagles in a sluggish performance. Over the first two weeks of play, the Vikings offense as a whole has totaled just 69 yards rushing. To put into perspective how poor Minnesota has been running the football, they currently rank 29th in rushing yards across the NFL — a reminder, 30 teams have yet to play a second game. 

Last season, Cook rushed for 90 yards in the Vikings opener, a 23-7 win over the Green Bay Packers. He then proceeded to eclipse that rushing mark in four of his next eight games. Over that span, Minnesota owned a win-loss record of 8-1. 

Not only are the Vikings less productive without Cook in the backfield, but his departure has also eliminated any semblance of balance from the Vikings offense.  

Last season, the Vikings had 672 passes (third-most in the NFL) and 404 runs (tied for fifth-fewest in the NFL), by no means a proportional run-pass ratio. However, it pales in comparison to the atrocious split Minnesota has amassed to begin this season. Through two weeks of play, the offense has attempted 88 passes to only 26 rushes and is pacing to finish 2023 with 183 fewer rushing attempts than last year. 

Cook, 28, may be encroaching on the tail end of his prime. His 2.5 YPC average in his New York Jets debut was nothing to write home about. Still, he's a player coming off four consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons and whose 5,057 rushing yards since 2019 are the third-most in the NFL behind Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns. 

While the Vikings saved some cash by giving Cook the boot, they're now paying for it in the win-loss column. 

So long as Kirk Cousins is throwing to Justin Jefferson, Minnesota's offense will remain one of the most explosive in football. However, if they want to dig themselves out of the pits of the NFC North and make a playoff run, they'll need to keep defenses honest. That begins with more balanced play-calling and improved play from Mattison and the Vikings rushing attack.