GREEN BAY, Wis. — In recent years, the Vikings have drafted running backs, hired and fired offensive coordinators, and offered an eight-figure contract based on an almost countercultural belief that they can base their offense around a forceful running game in an era where teams are throwing the ball more frequently than ever.
They got Dalvin Cook back from a strained groin in time for Sunday's game at Lambeau Field, intending to lean heavily on the Pro Bowler in a building where he ran for 154 yards a year ago.
On the first day of November, when swirling winds whipped through the empty Lambeau bowl at speeds of up to 40 mph, the Vikings' second — and undoubtedly, their most-prized — victory of the season became a proof for their thesis.