MINNEAPOLIS -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense left the most important piece of their game-day get-up hanging in the visitors’ locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Through three weeks, Minnesota Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook is proving he’s no ordinary running back. Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy referred to the second-round draft pick as a "game-wrecker." To defend a player like that, "you’ve got to bring your big-boy pants with you," McCoy said last week.

Tampa Bay’s injury-stricken defense didn’t have the tools needed to slow Cook’s motor as he powered through a 27-carry workload to eclipse 97 rushing yards and record his first NFL touchdown in the Vikings' 34-17 win on Sunday.

Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook proved tough to tackle on Sunday, recording 67 rushing yards after contact. Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports

But it’s the total package of his performance -- rushing, receiving and pass blocking -- that’s going to force teams to bring their big-boy pants and then some as they scheme for the explosive rookie.

“If I can’t pass protect, I’m not going to be out there, plain and simple,” Cook said. “I have to protect Case [Keenum] or whoever is back there. That’s part of my game, and that’s something I have to do as my job.”

Cook finally showed what he can do in the passing game, turning all five of his targets into receptions, totaling 72 yards. It’s a valuable asset for an offense that has utilized two starting quarterbacks in three games and allowed the Vikings to get in the early rhythm it lacked last week.

Eight of the Vikings' first nine plays went to Cook. The rookie set up his own touchdown after catching a 16-yard pass to bring him down to the 1-yard line, where he scored two plays later.

The offense got rolling faster, in large part, because Cook got into a first-half groove, something that was missing in his first two games.

But what’s most dangerous about his 169 all-purpose yards was how he got them.

Cook is a handful because teams know that in order to contain him, they have to get physical. He’s not going to try and find the sideline after he picks up a carry. Where Cook excels is in situations where he can notch a few extra yards after he has been hit.

Cook registered 84 yards after contact on both rushes and receptions on Sunday, according to ESPN Stats & Information tracking. Of his rushing total, 67 yards came after contact.

Take his longest run of the day that went for 26 yards in the third quarter. The rookie found a crease created by right tackle Mike Remmers and made two players whiff while trying to tackle him as he exploded through traffic. Bucs safety T.J. Ward grabbed on to Cook’s waist where he was dragged a good eight or nine yards downfield before he could stop the running back.

His ability to make quick adjustments, change direction and accelerate through contact isn’t just effective in the run game. In the fourth quarter, Cook caught a pass that registered as a 36-yard reception, where he was able to grind out a few extra yards as he was being tackled.

“One of the things that kind of showed up on the last third down we hit -- he caught the ball -- the deal was to stay in bounds but he kind of looked for somebody to attack,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “He’s a kid that, I think, is going to continue to get better. You saw some of the tough runs he made today and I thought the offensive line was outstanding.”

So far this season, Cook has posted 61 carries for 288 yards, an average of 4.7 yards per rush. He broke another one of Adrian Peterson’s records on Sunday as the first Vikings rookie to reach that total in his first three games.

Cook’s multi-dimensional performance shows why it didn’t take long for him to run away with the No. 1 running back job in training camp. His versatile skill set is one the Vikings had been lacking in the run game for a while -- a unit that finished last in the NFL in rushing a year ago.

Opposing teams may want to heed McCoy's advice. The last thing you want to do is be without your A-game when facing Minnesota's game-changing rookie.