The Minnesota Vikings played one of their best games of the year on Sunday, using another big day from Dalvin Cook to defeat the Detroit Lions by a score of 34-20.
For the second straight week, Cook was a beast on the ground racking up a career-high 206 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. His first score in the first quarter came from five yards out and gave Minnesota the early 7-0 lead.
The Vikings extended their lead early in the second quarter when Kirk Cousins found Irv Smith Jr. on a nine-yard touchdown pass and after Dan Bailey missed the extra point, Minnesota held a 13-0 lead.
The Lions made a charge to get back into the game collecting a 23-yard field goal from Matt Prater and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones to cut the lead down to 13-10.
But the Vikings seized momentum before halftime on a 22-yard screen pass from Cousins to Ameer Abdullah to send them into the locker room up 20-10.
Against his former team!!@ameerguapo gets his first score of the season.
📱: https://t.co/EYGyNNxBPN pic.twitter.com/7MWtg98BLY
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 8, 2020
The second half belonged to Minnesota as Mike Zimmer’s defense put the clamps on Matthew Stafford. The Vikings came up with three interceptions in the second half which helped Minnesota pull away with Cousins’ third touchdown pass of the day and his second to Smith.
The Lions added a 45-yard field goal by Prater to come within 27-13, but Cook put the game on ice with a 70-yard touchdown run.
Top 2 back in the league and he ain't #2
📱: https://t.co/EYGyNNxBPN pic.twitter.com/32SPgVFJn3
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 8, 2020
The Lions added a garbage-time score when Chase Daniel connected with T.J. Hockenson on a two-yard touchdown, but the Vikings had the game well in hand.
With the victory, the Vikings improved to 3-5 and will head to Chicago next week for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Bears.
