Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings were able to establish two R-phrases last week against the Titans.
Minnesota got the run game going to the tune of 226 yards on the ground, which were highlighted by a career-best 181 from Dalvin Cook.
Opportunities increased for Cook and Co. because Minnesota avoided falling behind the way it had in Weeks 1 and 2 and was able to stay balanced for much of the game, moving the chains and mounting scoring drives.
Additionally, and perhaps equally important for the overall benefit of the offense, Minnesota established a receiving threat opposite Adam Thielen.
Enter Justin Jefferson, who made his first career start and turned in seven receptions for 175 yards that were punctuated with a 71-yard touchdown.
After the historic combination — Cook and Jefferson are the first teammates to record 175-plus rushing and receiving yards in one NFL game — is it possible for another R-phrase to manifest?
The hope with Minnesota (0-3) heading to Houston to face another winless team is for residual effects.
"I think that's the key, to be dynamic enough in a lot of different areas that defenses have a hard time taking away a strength because you have enough strengths where they have to focus on a lot of different pieces," quarterback Kirk Cousins said Thursday. "If we can run the ball effectively and we can use Adam and Justin and [Chad] Beebe and our tight ends and involve the running backs in the passing game and do play-action and dropback, the whole nine yards, screens, everything you can do, hopefully defenses say, 'We don't know what's coming at us, so we just have to play sound and react to what's being called.'