The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their first road game of the 2017 season on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The hosting Minnesota Vikings will be without their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, while the visiting Buccaneers will line up without three defensive starters. All of that makes rookie running back Dalvin Cook the game’s obvious focal point.
Two weeks into his pro career, Cook looks like a second-round steal, ranking third in the NFL with 191 rushing yards and averaging 5.6 yards per tote. He’s already broken off two runs of more than 30 yards, helping the Vikings’ offense surprisingly lead the league with 14 gains of 20-plus yards.