Dalvin Cook's explosive playmaking abilities are the cornerstone of the Vikings' system and have boosted quarterback Kirk Cousins' play. What Cook has accomplished in 2019 -- his first healthy season in three -- is what the Vikings envisioned when they traded up to draft him 41st overall in 2017.

Before the season, Minnesota recommitted to a running game that struggled in 2018. The Vikings ranked 30th in yards (1,493), 27th in carries (357) and 25th in yards per carry (4.18). This season, a revitalized zone-blocking scheme has produced the fifth-highest output in running back yards (4.80) and open-field yards, defined as when a team's running back earns more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, the story added.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bears put eight or more defenders in the box on five of Dalvin Cook’s 14 carries on Sunday, forcing him to face heavy fronts more frequently than all but six running backs in the league during Week 4.

Cook ran behind a fullback or an extra tight end on 10 of his 14 carries on Sunday. That’s part and parcel to the Vikings’ offense this season, and it’s helped open holes for Cook so far this year. It could, however, invite more defenders into the box, rather than forcing them to defend the run from a wider angle, especially as teams scheme to stop Cook and force the Vikings to throw the ball.

The author thinks if the Vikings don't start making teams pay for stacking the box, they are going to see a lot more of that. The Vikings won't face many fronts like the Bears have, according to the story, but Kirk Cousins and the passing game are going to have to help open things up for Cook - and his fantasy owners.

A revamped rushing attack featuring a healthy Dalvin Cook and coordinator Kevin Stefanski pulling the strings has been dominant, especially in the red zone. That’s where the Vikings have run for six touchdowns in nine drives, and Cousins has only completed one pass on five attempts for 11 yards and an interception.

The Vikings called 11 runs vs. 1 pass in the red zone against the Raiders last week. While it's been great news for Cook owners, the Vikings feel Cousins will eventually need to step up in the red zone and become more involved. For example, next up are the Bears, who have the fifth ranked run defense and is allowing 68.7 yards per game according to the story.

Worth noting fullback C.J. Ham has been the Vikings' lone third-down back for starting offense in limited preseason reps.

Related players: Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison

Cook will be a three-down back, but they need a reliable third-down option, the tweet went on to say. That could be Ham, especially if the rookie Mattison isn't up to speed by the time the season starts.

After missing out on the Cleveland Browns' head coaching job, Kevin Stefanski will return to Minnesota.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Stefanski is expected to return as the Vikings' full-time offensive coordinator, per a source informed of the situation.

Stefanski took over in Minnesota with three games left in the 2018 season after the Vikings jettisoned OC John DeFilippo. The Vikes offense got back to the ground game in the first two outings of the 36-year-old's play-calling career, compiling 320 rushing yards in back-to-back victories.

The Vikings offense, however, struggled brutally in the must-win season finale, compiling just 164 total yards in a loss to the Bears that dashed Minnesota's playoff plans.

Returning as full-time offensive coordinator, Stefanski will be tasked with unleashing an offense that vastly underperformed expectations in 2018. Despite a star running back in Dalvin Cook, two 1,000-plus-yard receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, and an $84 million quarterback in Kirk Cousins, the Vikings were an inconsistent mess this season. If the Vikings can't finally figure out their offensive line issues in 2019, it likely won't matter who is calling plays.

After firing DeFilippo, HC Mike Zimmer demanded that Stefanski establish the run game. Under DeFilippo, the Vikings averaged 40.3 pass attempts and just 21.1 rush attempts, a 65.7% pass rate. In three games under Stefanski, Minnesota averaged 27.3 pass attempts and 27.7 rush attempts for a 49.7% pass rate. The team's offensive pace slowed from 61.4 plays per game under DeFilippo to 55.0 plays per game under Stefanski. Kirk Cousins and the passing game suffered in the final three games, as his fantasy PPG dropped from 17.6 PPG to 15.8 PPG. Meanwhile, Dalvin Cook's usage spiked--he averaged 14.9 touches per game under DeFilippo and 18.0 touches per game with Stefanski calling the plays. His PPG (PPR) was 17.7 over the final three games after averaging 12.9 PPG in eight games under DeFilippo. Adam Thielen's averages (21.8 vs. 8.0) took a major hit while Stefon Diggs' production (18.4 vs. 14.5) also dipped. Keep in mind that one of the three games was at home against the Bears, who own the top defense in the league. Still, the Stefanski full-time hire looks to be good for Cook and bad for Cousins, Thielen and Diggs.

Dalvin Cook's participation in practice Friday gives the Vikings hope that he will be able to play against the Lions. Sources indicated that Cook will go through an on-field workout prior to inactives before determining whether he can play. He went through a similar process before the Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals. If Cook is good to go, he'll be on a limited pitch count, which is expected to be around 15 to 20 plays, according to a source.

Unless Latavius Murray gets stuck in traffic on the way to the game, we can't see a scenario where we'd start Cook this weekend. Murray, who has scored 22.8, 22.3 and 20.5 points in the three games Cooks has missed, is still in the RB2 conversation despite Cook's presence.

Dalvin Cook, Linval Joseph and Xavier Rhodes all practiced for a second straight day. There was still no Stefon Diggs (ribs), Anthony Barr, Tom Compton, or Roc Thomas at practice.

Earlier in the day, Diggs declared he would be playing Sunday. Before he does, he'll need to practice. Check back with us on Friday for more news as it becomes available.