EAGAN, Minn. – Fans correctly predicted that running back Dalvin Cook would score the first Vikings touchdown of the 2020 season, and they're projecting big things from him in Indianapolis Sunday.
Cook earned the most votes in our "Filtered by the Fan" Twitter poll, which this week asked which Viking will have "the biggest game" against the Colts. Cook received 53.7 percent of the more than 7,700 votes.
Adam Thielen received 27.1 percent of the votes, followed by Eric Kendricks (9.7 percent). A category of "Other" combined to have 9.5 percent.
The Week 2 road game will mark Cook's first game against the Colts.
Minnesota last played Indianapolis in 2016, a season before the Vikings drafted Cook 41st overall. The Vikings have yet to defeat the Colts on the road, even dating back to their seasons in Baltimore.
In the last meeting between the Vikings and Colts, Thielen was targeted once but did not record a catch on the day. Kendricks was the team's third-leading tackler with nine (league stats). Vikings safety Anthony Harris started in place of an injured Harrison Smith and had a flashy outing that afternoon, recording 15 tackles and a pass defensed in his second season with the team.
It's safe to say that Vikings fans will be happy with any big performances by offensive players after the unit hit a costly lull in the second quarter of last weekend's Border Battle.
But don't rule out a defensive showing, either. The Vikings are familiar with veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, whom they last faced in December when he was commanding the Chargers huddle. Rivers, who signed with the Colts in free agency for his 17th NFL season, is 1-3 in career games against Minnesota. The Vikings have intercepted Rivers seven times, compared to his four touchdown passes against them. He's been sacked 10 times by Vikings defenders, to whom he's also lost three fumbles.
Other Vikings "written in" by fans in the poll's comments included quarterback Kirk Cousins, kicker Dan Bailey (one fan predicted five made field goals by the vet), cornerback Holton Hill, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue or Smith, whom one fan said is due for a pick six.
The last time Smith played the Colts, being that he was sidelined in 2016? As a rookie in 2012. The safety recorded four tackles and a pass defensed in his second-ever NFL game. He is, however, familiar with Rivers, whom he intercepted in Los Angeles in December.
