Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians talks Vikings offense, “slowing down” Cook
Joe Johnson
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It has been said that current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians had his sites set on Minnesota Vikings superstar running back Dalvin Cook in the 2017 NFL Draft when Arians was still with the Arizona Cardinals.
Cook had fallen into the second-round, and to the Cards’ pick. Of that, Arians, who the Vikings will face this Sunday in what is a must-win game for the Vikings, said this week:
“From what I remember, we had high grades on him,” Arians said about Cook. “He could do everything. There’s been some really good backs coming out of Florida State in the last few years and we had [him] as a ‘can’t miss’ guy. Whether he could do it off the field, that’s the same question you have with every single one of these young guys anymore. Can they handle it off the field? He’s done a great, great job.”
Luckily for the Vikings, Arians and company drafted University of Washington safety Budda Baker (who was an All Pro in his rookie season), and five picks later Cook joined the Vikings.
Three-and-a-half years later Arians is with another team and Cook is the best running back in the NFL (correlation? Causation?) on arguably the most dynamic and dangerous offenses in the league.
“[They are] dynamic,” Arians said about the Vikings’ offense which ranks fourth in the NFL in total yards this season. “Dalvin’s one of the best backs – arguably the best back – in the league right now, and they feature him. He’s a great zone runner, he’s a downhill runner, one cut [and a] hard tackle. It’s going to be a great challenge defensively.”
While the Bucs are arguably the best team in the NFL when it comes to stopping the run, they haven’t faced Cook or a team as committed to the run as the Vikings. Arians discussed stopping someone like Cook, saying:
“I think it’s a fine line when you think you’re going to pressure the quarterback, but you’ve got to have gap control when you are blitzing to make sure he doesn’t get out,” Arians said. “Once [Cook] breaks it, it’s usually going to the house, so we have to have great gap control [and] great discipline when we’re blitzing and when we’re not blitzing.”
Bucs running back Ronald Jones chimed in about Cook, too.
“Obviously, he’s a top-two rusher right now,” Jones said about Cook. “I think, with him, it’s the vision and his footwork is really good. I definitely watch his film and things like that. I’m always looking to add things to my game. He’s definitely one of the top dogs at the position right now.”
Indeed.
The Vikings will need Cook at his best Sunday as even though the Bucs have lost three in-a-row, they still have a stacked roster on both sides of the ball. Like the Seattle Seahawks, they have multiple talented wide receivers and an elite (though slumping) quarterback. If the Vikings can create more long, methodical drives that end in touchdowns a la the over five drives of 10+ plays in the Seahawks game, they can keep the Bucs offense on the sidelines and dictate the flow of the game.
A week after Cook had nearly 40 touches, he says he feels great despite Vikings offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s comments about him being beat up last week. Let’s hope that’s the case, as this is the most important game of the season and a must-win for a Vikings team with a tough final quarter of the season. If they can go 3-1 against the Bucs, Bears, Lions and Saints they’ll essentially be a shoe-in for the post-season.