The star running back of the Minnesota Vikings, Dalvin Cook, unleashed his beast during the Thursday night matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns in his first game after recovering from a shoulder injury. 

The Vikings held on to the Steelers 36-28 at the U.S. Bank Stadium as they forced an incomplete pass into the endzone in the final play. Cook only took 11 days to recover from a dislocated shoulder which he picked up against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Dalvin Cook returns against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Cook was unavailable during the Week 13 loss of the Vikings against the winless Detroit Lions on Sunday. He was also officially placed as questionable against the Steelers after being a limited participant at practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.

However, Cook on his return against the Steelers set a new franchise record. He covered 153 rushing yards in the first half, needing only 14 carries to do so. His remarkable return gave the Vikings a required boost in their rushing game. 

ESPN and multiple media outlets had reported that the two-time pro bowl receiver might miss two games. Although, he made an impressive return both on and off the field to give his franchise a much-needed win.

The Minnesota Vikings trump card

This season, the 26 years old running back has run for 978 yards and six touchdowns in ten games while also having 28 receptions. Despite missing three games this season, Cook is the NFL’s seventh-leading rusher and averaging fourth for running yards (85.9) per game in the league.

With the regular season about to conclude in a few weeks, we need to see how much magic is still left in the running back. It would be quite an impression if he could pick the Vikings up for a playoff season since Minnesota lies just one place below in the NFC standings for being considered for playoff contention.

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