Captain Fear
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- Mar 20, 2019
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USA Today Sports
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had a season-high 38 touches against the Jaguars in Minnesota’s Week 13 victory, rushing for 120 yards on 32 carries and making six receptions for 59 yards.
He now has 1,564 yards from scrimmage and 286 touches — leading the league in both categories. While he says he’s not concerned with wearing down, the Vikings clearly aren’t either based on how they’ve utilized him.
Cook has four of the top five games of touches this year — and he’s recorded each of them since Week 8. His 38 from Sunday lead the way. He had 34 against the Bears in Week 10, 32 against the Packers in Week 8, and 32 against the Cowboys in Week 11.
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry is the only other player in the top five, reaching 34 touches in the Titans’ Week 1 victory over Denver.
Despite his workload, plus his history of knee issues, and being limited for two days of practice last week with an ankle injury, Cook says he’s feeling great.
“I’ll probably need 38 more,” Cook said Wednesday, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “I feel great, to be honest. I’m not pulling your coattails or nothing. I feel good. I’ve got a good system that I’ve got set up for me to get ready to go on Sundays.”
Cook said his recovery routine begins right after the game to keep him ready for the next week.
“I’m here to do whatever my team asks upon me,” Cook said. “If it’s 38, 40, 44, whatever it is, I’m willing to do it.”
Good thing, too, because the Vikings have shown that they’re going to ask a lot. But for a team that’s won five of six since Cook returned from a groin injury in Week 8, it makes sense to stick with what’s working.