SANTA CLARA -- Dalvin Cook didn't celebrate much after the Minnesota Vikings upset the Saints in New Orleans. The star running back enjoyed the playoff victory to be sure, but echoed one sentiment over and over again in the postgame locker room.
That's just one.
He knows darn well the next one's going to be harder. The Vikings must travel to Levi's Stadium for Saturday's divisional-round playoff game with the No. 1-seeded 49ers.
"That's a tough team," Cook told Minnesota reporters on Tuesday. "Right after [beating the Saints], I was keyed in. … We have to bear down and get ready to go play."
Cook must get ready for a dynamic 49ers defense sporting a ferocious front featuring All-Pro DeForest Buckner and Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner Nick Bosa. That group has been excellent against the pass, especially harassing the quarterback. Run defense has been just okay, ranking 17th and averaging 112.6 yards per game.
So, when Bosa was asked about the importance of harassing Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Ohio State product reminded the inquirer about the order of operations.
"You're not going to be able to rush him unless you stop the run," Bosa said. "That's what we're focused on."
That's smart, because Cook makes the Vikings go. That isn't a slight on Cousins or, before Sunday's big-time comeback, his lack of prowess in the clutch. It's just a fact that the Vikings are a run-first unit with a dynamic rusher who is as good as it gets. Stop him and Minnesota's a lot easier to beat.
Cook wants to make that difficult but knows besting the 49ers won't be easy. As a matter of fact, he thinks San Francisco poses his toughest test yet.
"We know they present a real challenge up front," Cook said. "They have a good front seven, probably the best we'll face all year. It's a playoff game, so we know what we're getting ourselves into. We just have to go in and stay on schedule. That involves running the football and doing what we do."
Cook insisted Tuesday that he's doing what he does without impediment. He suffered a shoulder ailment in a Week 15 victory over the L.A. Chargers that kept him out the next two regular season games he refuses to call an injury. He also insists that he's back to full strength, as evidence by 28 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints last week.
[RELATED: Bosa explains what makes Vikings' Cook so tough to tackle]
"I never got injured. I got banged up," Cook said. "Injured and banged up are two completely different things. I didn't get injured this year. We took a precaution of holding me out so I could be ready for this stretch. I was good. I never get down about being hurt. I play my game. I play physical. In my position, some guys can shoulder the load. Some guys are a little different that way.
"I'm a little different. I can play through a lot of things."
Why Dalvin Cook believes 49ers have best front-seven Vikings will face originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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