EAGAN, Minn. — For the second week in a row Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has captured national attention for his on-field exploits, leading the Vikings back into the playoff hunt in the process.
Cook was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Minnesota's 34-20 win over Detroit, piling up a career-high 206 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard romp that left a handful of Lions in the dust. He became just the third Viking to run for more than 200 yards, joining legends Chuck Foreman and Adrian Peterson.
It is Cook's second consecutive NFC Offensive Player of the Week award, after he had a huge game in helping the Vikings beat archrival Green Bay in a crucial NFC North Division contest. In that game he scored four touchdowns, and piled up 226 yards from scrimmage.
Cook has scored at least one touchdown in each of Minnesota's first seven games of the season, one of just six players in the history of the NFL to do so.
The Vikings will need Dalvin to have another huge game Monday night when they take on the Bears in Chicago.