The Minnesota Vikings may or may not be without star running back Dalvin Cook in Week 3. As their game with the Seattle Seahawks draws closer, the status for Cook remains in the air.
Despite not practicing all week, there is hope for Cook’s presence on the field this Sunday. And that would be pivotal for the Vikings’ offensive attack.
Update 09/26/21: Dalvin Cook will not play in Minnesota’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. He is out with an ankle injury.
Dalvin Cook exits last week’s game
Cook finished Week 2’s outing against the Arizona Cardinals with 131 rushing yards and 17 receiving yards. He, however, could have had more.
The Vikings’ running back was shaken up twice during the game, exiting the contest in both the first and second half. He went to the injury tent at one point but valiantly returned to the field to help his team.
In what was diagnosed simply as an ankle injury, Cook’s status for Minnesota’s game against Seattle is questionable. He has missed a significant amount of time during his five-year career due to a variety of injuries. He missed all but four games as a rookie before missing five in his sophomore season.
Yet, since then, Cook has missed just four games total.
His presence is pivotal for Minnesota’s success
In a contest where every point should matter, Cook’s presence on the field will be crucial for Minnesota. Over the past two seasons, the Vikings are 11-6 when Cook accumulates 100 or more all-purpose yards. Comparatively, they’re just 5-6 when Cook doesn’t eclipse that 100-yard plateau in the same span.
Of course, all yardage outputs aren’t the same, and they all have a different weighing towards the final result of the game. However, that simple fact dictates one thing: When Dalvin is cookin’, the Vikings win more often than not.
In 2019, Cook had 2 fumbles and just 64 total yards of offense against Seattle in their meeting. He followed that up with an 89-yard performance against the Seahawks a season ago. Nevertheless, the Vikings went 0-2 in those matchups.
Will Dalvin Cook play on Sunday?
All eyes will be on Cook and whether or not he plays in Week 3. Though he exited the game twice against Arizona a week ago, he returned just as many times. He finished the game for the Vikings, and it looked promising for him to play against Seattle in Week 3.
Yet, Cook missed the entire week of practice and did not participate at all on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. When speaking to the media, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was noncommittal towards his feelings, rather pointing the question towards Cook himself.
“If you’re asking about Dalvin [Cook], I think Dalvin can,” Zimmer told reporters during his media availability this week following Friday’s practice.
Zimmer added that Cook is doing much better, but much better than what? The meaning of “much better” for a guy who didn’t practice all week is up in the air. And that’s where Cook’s status remains until game time against Seattle.
Cook is officially questionable to play for Minnesota when they kick off against the Seahawks at 4:25 PM ET.