Dalvin Cook was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, but what did he say that was egregious enough to draw a taunting flag?
It happened midway through the third quarter, with the Vikings trailing 37-3, after Cook ran out of bounds on the Dallas sideline after an 11-yard gain. He appeared to be shouting at Dallas assistant coach George Edwards, who was Minnesota’s defensive coordinator under Mike Zimmer from 2014-19.
“I think it was innocent, but I think [Edwards] did say some things to Dalvin,” said Adam Thielen on KFAN radio Monday morning. “Talking about he’s not doing anything tonight or they got him bottled up or something like that. And then it kind of was exchanged back and forth. I think in the heat of the moment we’re all competitors, we all get in that heat of the moment and say some things that probably wouldn’t normally say.”
Former Vikings DC George Edwards jaws with Dalvin Cook, and Cook gets called for the penalty pic.twitter.com/vYxdjdd89Y
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) November 20, 2022
“I just think that sometimes these coaches, they kind of get in their feelings a little bit on the sideline and they start thinking they can say whatever they want. I think that was kind of one of those situations,” Thielen continued. “At the end of the day, it is what it is. It’s part of the game and you expect that and you move on.”
We still don’t know what Cook said, but it was clearly enough to turn an 11-yard gain into a net four-yard loss.
Related: Thielen: Getting embarrassed by Dallas ‘could be a good thing’
Related: Here are the PFF grades from the Vikings’ 40-3 debacle
