Allow me to indulge in a talking point I've been harping on heavily lately, and maybe too much. But what I don't understand I try to sort out using logic. Here goes.

Dalvin Cook had another big day vs. Dallas. 27 carries/115 yards/TD and 5 catches/45 yards. That's 32 touches. In CHI he had 34. DET 22 (manageable). GB 33. Yes he missed Week 6 & had the bye, but that's 226 touches thru 10 games. Vikings have repeatedly talked about using

Alexander Mattison more often to spell Cook, but that sentiment is not reality. Mattison had 5 snaps at RB yesterday. Five. MIN spent a 3rd round pick on him to give Cook the type of back-up presence he had with Latavius Murray, Jerrick McKinnon, and it's just not that.

I understand Dalvin Cook is the best offensive player they have. There's a reason Cook leads the league with 34% of his team's offense running thru him. The Vikings are effectively saying that even though they want to not run him into the ground, they have no choice but to make

him get back out there every time the game is in jeopardy because they know they can't win without him. That's fair, he's an elite/special/whatever adjective you wanna use talent. But how much longer can that continue? Dallas was brutal to him physically. More so than other games

The Vikings are 4-6 and if you thought they had no room for error before to make the playoffs, it's even less now. And that's going to come through riding Dalvin Cook yet again in 6 more games. I've questioned the sustainability of that, and maybe I'm ignorant for doing so, but

it just seems to me that the Vikings have talked this talk about having a stable of backs to support Cook so he isn't crossing 30+ touches a game routinely, which has been the case lately. And for those who are about to throw the Derrick Henry argument out, I don't think he

should be either. Running back is a position that depreciates quickly. Expectations are supposed to be high for Minnesota in 2021. Think about all the touches Cook will have on him by that point and the risk factor you take in doing so.

That's it for my morning quandary.