Multiple team goals for the 2020 Minnesota Vikings (6-9) are no longer attainable, but multiple players will enter Sunday's season finale at Detroit (5-10) with historical marks within their reach.
Here's a rundown of milestones that players can accomplish on Sunday.
Dalvin Cook
Rushing/scrimmage yards
Cook already has recorded the third-most rushing yards in a single season by a Vikings running back, but he could climb the ladder if he duplicates another mammoth day against Detroit.
The fourth-year running back has 1,557, which ranks second in the NFL (Derrick Henry has 1,777). He trails Adrian Peterson's 1,760 in 2008 by 204 yards.
Think that's out of reach? Remember, Cook rushed for 206 against the Lions in Week 9 with Peterson watching from the opposing sideline.
Cook also has the second-most scrimmage yards in a single Vikings season (an NFL-leading 1,918) but has no chance of catching Peterson's whopping 2,314 from 2012 that was fueled by his franchise-record 2,097 rushing yards. He still could post the most scrimmage yards in the NFL in 2020 if he fends off Henry (1,891).
Rushing touchdowns
Cook needs two rushing touchdowns to tie Peterson's franchise record of 18 in 2009. Cook has four games with two or more rushing touchdowns this season, including Week 9 against Detroit.
Scoring
With 16 rushing touchdowns, one receiving score and three 2-point conversions, Cook has scored a team-best 108 points this season, which ranks second in the NFL among non-kickers. Alvin Kamara's six scores against Minnesota on Friday vaulted the Saints running back to 126 points this season.
The 108 points by Cook rank 18th in franchise history for a single season, regardless of position, and are the second-most by a Vikings non-kicker. Chuck Foreman scored the most by any non-kicker with 132 points in 1975 when he totaled 22 touchdowns (13 rushing, nine receiving).
Justin Jefferson
Receiving yards
Jefferson already has 79 receptions on the year, topping Randy Moss' previous rookie record of 69 catches in 1998.
Now the 2020 first-round pick can top Moss' 1,313 receiving yards from that magical season. Jefferson needs just 47 yards to pass the Hall of Famer that he recently “met” during a virtual chat with prior Vikings NFL/Offensive Rookies of the Year.
Jefferson needs 111 yards to break Anquan Boldin's NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie. Boldin recorded 1,377 in 2003. (Bill Groman had 1,473 with the Houston Oilers in 1960, but that was in the American Football League's first season.)
Averaging 84.5 receiving yards per game, Jefferson ranks third among rookies since 1970 (minimum four games) in the category behind Odell Beckham, Jr. (108.8 in 2014) and Boldin (86.1 in 2003). Moss is fourth all-time with 82.1 receiving yards per game as a rookie.
Adam Thielen
Receiving touchdowns
Thielen ranks third in the NFL this season with 14 receiving touchdowns, the fifth-most receiving TDs in a Vikings season. He needs one more to tie Moss for fourth or two for sole possession of fourth place.
He has caught two touchdowns in six career games, including in four this season, but needs his first career hat trick to tie the all-time Vikings mark.
T-1. Cris Carter 17 in 1995
T-1. Randy Moss 17 in 1998
T-1. Randy Moss 17 in 2003
4. Randy Moss 15 in 2000
5. Adam Thielen 14 in 2020
Receiving yards
Thielen needs 132 receiving yards for the third 1,000-yard season of his career.
Receptions
With eight catches against the Saints, Thielen tied Sammy White for eighth in franchise history on the career receptions list (393). He needs eight more catches to pass Ahmad Rashad for seventh all-time.
Kirk Cousins
Passing touchdowns
Cousins has thrown a career-best 32 touchdown passes this season. He needs one more to tie Warren Moon (1995), Daunte Culpepper (2000) and Brett Favre (2009) for third-most in a single Vikings season.
A pair of scores would tie him with Randall Cunningham (34 in 1998) for second. Culpepper's 39 in 2004 are the most in franchise history.
Cousins has thrown two or more touchdowns in 11 games this season and has tossed trifectas in seven of those contests.
