Kirk Cousins ignites running game for Vikings with unlikely touchdown

The Vikings returned from the bye week with a primary objective on offense: establish the run. But coach Kevin O'Connell probably couldn't have envisioned just who, exactly, would lead the charge during the Vikings' opening drive capped by a 17-yard rushing touchdown to open Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cardinals.

"I told Kirk [Cousins] I'm going to have to put the chains back on him," edge rusher Za'Darius Smith said. "He got that swagger today."

After the past two road wins, Cousins has donned his teammates' diamond chains and necklaces on the team flight — long enough to be videoed, at least — as they've given him some shine during a 6-1 start. Cousins earned the attention again, this time with a remarkable scramble and dive inside the pylon after outrunning Cardinals outside linebacker Markus Golden.

Cousins kick-started the run game, also converting a third down via sneak, and running back Dalvin Cook took it from there. Cook finished with a season-high 111 rushing yards and a game ball from O'Connell. He spearheaded the Vikings' season-high 173 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against the Cardinals.

Cousins' 17-yard touchdown run was the second-longest scoring run of his NFL career, trailing only a 19-yard touchdown run in 2016. He reached 18.29 miles per hour, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, leading center Garrett Bradbury to tell Cousins it was the "greatest thing he has ever seen."

"I had no idea how much it means to the O-linemen when I run," Cousins said. "They said it was big deal to them. I didn't realize that. If I'd known that, maybe I'd run more."

Fullback C.J. Ham smirked and referenced Ravens MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.

"Lamar who?" Ham joked. "The real No. 8."

Cousins' run was the first of six Vikings carries to gain at least 10 yards, with Cook and running back Alexander Mattison gashing the Cardinals repeatedly in the first half. Cook ripped off back-to-back runs of 19 and 11 yards to open a second-quarter touchdown drive.

The holes were there. Cook also delivered some hits, including trucking over safety Budda Baker at the end of a 30-yard run. At one point, Cook ran to the sidelines and shocked teammates with a lump under his right eye. After the game, Cook was still confused about how it got there.

"I think someone did something in the pile," Cook said. "I know I came to the sideline and everyone looked at me like, 'Whoa.' I had no idea what they were talking about."

Mattison muscled in a touchdown from 7 yards out, followed by Cook scoring from 4 yards in the third quarter. They are the only third-quarter touchdowns scored by the Vikings this season.

"I have to continue to have trust that we can run it in and be physical down there," O'Connell said.

Before Sunday, the Vikings had topped 100 rushing yards as an offense in only three of six games. Cook had not yet had a 100-yard outing. That left Vikings coaches wanting to get the ground game back to an "efficient" mode against the Cardinals, according to O'Connell.

"It's great, man, because it just opens up our offense and allows us to do a lot of different things," receiver K.J. Osborn said. "When that's going, we're at our best."