Satisfying night for Cook, Cousins, Vikes
Dalvin Cook had 171 total yards and the game’s only touchdown, helping quarterback Kirk Cousins beat his old team on the first try and carrying the Vikings to a 19-9 victory over the Redskins on Thursday in Minneapolis.
Cook, the NFL leader in yards from scrimmage, rushed 23 times for 98 yards and caught five passes for 73 yards for the Vikings (6-2) in their fourth straight victory.
Cousins went 23-for-26 for 285 yards without a turnover against the Redskins (1-7), who drafted him in 2012 and made him the full-time starter in 2015.
Case Keenum, the quarterback Cousins replaced, saw his return to Minnesota spoiled by a concussion that kept him out of the second half. Keenum, who finished 12-for16 for 130 yards, also lost a fumble on a sack in the first quarter. Redskins rookie Dwayne Haskins, replacing Keenum, threw an interception deep in Vikings territory when the Redskins trailed by only seven points.
Another former Vikings standout, running back Adrian Peterson, had 14 carries for 76 yards and in the process moved up to sixth place on the NFL’s career rushing list.
Stefon Diggs caught all seven passes that came his way from Cousins, racking up 143 yards to make sure the Redskins didn’t completely sell out to stop the run. Alexander Mattison added 61 yards on 13 rushes, and the Vikings more than doubled the Redskins’ total yardage, 434-216.
Cowboys add DE Bennett from Patriots
Trying to upgrade their roster during the bye week for a second straight year, the Cowboys acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett from the Patriots for a conditional late-round draft pick in 2021, according to reports Thursday.
The open week for the Cowboys (4-3) was after seven games last year, as well. They sent their first-round pick in this year’s draft to the Raiders for receiver Amari Cooper, who has proven to be a big boost for quarterback Dak Prescott’s offense.
Bennett, 33, had just returned to the Pats after serving a one-game suspension for what he said was a “philosophical disagreement” with defensive line coach Bret Bielema.
Gase staying out of Osemele drama
Jets coach Adam Gase is opting not to address the standoff between the team and guard Kelechi Osemele, who is having surgery on his right shoulder Friday — whether or not the team approves it. Osemele says he needs surgery now on his torn labrum and can’t play through the pain, while the Jets think he can hold off and remain on the field, based on medical reports.