Chiefs ‘took all 11’ on defense to contain Vikings back Dalvin Cook in Sunday’s win
The Kansas City Chiefs entered Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with the unenviable task of finding a way to slow down running back Dalvin Cook.
Cook entered the game leading the league in rushing, rushing touchdowns and total yards from scrimmage, while the Chiefs ranked a dismal 30th against the run.
When the dust settled, the Chiefs proved more than up to the task by limiting Cook to 71 yards rushing and 45 receiving, most coming in the second half, en route to a 26-23 win at Arrowhead Stadium.
“He’s a great running back and the best going right now,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “So, our guys buckled down and took that challenge.”
It also turns out Cook ran into a highly motivated defensive unit.
“All that (expletive) talking,” Chiefs defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah said when asked what motivated such a stout defensive performance against Cook. “We felt like we still got to play. We went out there and did our thing. The game plan that Coach Spags (defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) had? Shoot. That’s all she wrote.”
The Chiefs suffocated Cook early and often, holding one of the NFL’s top running backs to 31 yards on 10 carries in the first half.
Then, Ogbah and his defensive teammates carried that momentum into the second half by utilizing a swarming mentality whenever Cook touched the football.
“At the end of the day, we just had to focus on just playing the man in front of us,” said defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, who spearheaded the interior attack with six tackles. “If Dalvin couldn’t get a gap to go to, we got him. Knowing him, he’s a strong back, so he’s going to try and power through, but it took all 11 of us to really stop all of that.”
Cook is more than just a good runner; he has emerged as a capable receiver out of the backfield. But the Chiefs also contained Cook in the passing game, holding him to 4 yards receiving in the first half before Cook was able to break free for two big gains off second-half catches.
The end result had the Chiefs’ defenders feeling good about their performance.
“We pretty much shut him down, for the most part,” rookie safety Juan Thornhill said. “They had a couple screen that allowed him to get big plays, but other than that, I felt we did pretty good.”
The Chiefs’ defense was in the spotlight entering the game, especially considering the unit had allowed opponents to total more than 100 yards in five of their previous six games. Four running backs individually topped 100 yards in that span, and the Chiefs had just last weekend allowed Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones to total 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Conventional wisdom certainly leaned heavily in favor of Cook enjoying a good outing Sunday. But the Chiefs had other ideas. Equipped with a strong game plan, they stuck to fundamentals and made in-game adjustments as necessary.
“When we were watching film on the sidelines, there weren’t too many missed assignments along the defense,” rookie defensive tackle Khalen Saunders said. “Gap-oriented defense was the only way we were going to play this guy good.
“And to battle against his patience … I think everybody stayed in their lanes, the linebackers came and filled, defensive backs came and set the edges, so it was a good game.”
Defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon believes the Chiefs’ defense can build on Sunday’s performance against the run.
“I feel like it’s something we’ve been working on this whole year,” Kpassagnon said said. “We’ve been getting better every week and I just feel we’re going to continue to get better because that was the best running back in the league right now.”
Up next, the Chiefs travel to Nashville Sunday to take on the Tennessee Titans. The momentum they gained in containing Cook should give them confidence they can stop Titans running back Derrick Henry, too.
