How did Dalvin Cook do in his Ravens debut?
Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is on his second team this season and could be on his way to winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.
Cook debuted for the Ravens in Saturday's 34-10 playoff win over the Houston Texans. The 28-year-old carried the ball eight times for 23 yards and was part of a Ravens rushing attack that racked up 229 yards behind 100 yards and two touchdowns from Lamar Jackson.
It's the latest chapter in a long season for Cook that began when the Vikings released him as a salary cap cut in June. Cook signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the New York Jets but took a back seat to Breece Hall, logging just 67 carries for 214 yards (3.2 yards per carry) and no touchdowns.
The Jets released Cook on Jan. 2 and Cook signed with the Ravens as a way to latch on with a contender. Cook was originally signed to Baltimore's practice squad but was elevated to the main roster in time for Saturday's game.
Cook's performance didn't have many highlights but it's worth noting as he's the only Vikings player from the 2022 season that still has a chance to win the Super Bowl this season.
Adam Thielen (Carolina), Patrick Peterson (Steelers) and Eric Kendricks (Chargers) didn't make the playoffs and defensive stalwarts Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson were sent home when the Cleveland Browns lost to the Texans in the Wild Card round.
With former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell on the Ravens practice squad, Vikings fans may want to cheer for a different shade of purple – even with former Gophers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who face the Detroit Lions in a divisional-round matchup on Sunday afternoon.
If Vikings fans want to hop on board, they'll have to tune in next Sunday when the top-seeded Ravens host the winner of Sunday's Divisional Round matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Dalvin Cook (31) runs the ball against Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman (53) and safety DeAndre Houston-Carson (30) during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
