Playing Dalvin Cook on TNF Would Be a Mistake

Dec 20, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against Chicago Bears defensive back Kyle Fuller (23) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The recent reports suggest that the Vikings are leaning toward playing Dalvin Cook on TNF. Here is ol’faithful, Tom Pelissero:

And then a follow-up:

The hope ought to be that Zim is participating in some Belichickian shenanigans. Maybe these are simply mind games for the opponent to sort through before the game.

There’s no debating that Cook is a remarkably gifted player, and yet it has been clear that he isn’t his usual self this season. His modest PFF ranking (44/60 for RBs) gets at that reality. For a good portion of the year, Cook simply hasn’t been as elusive, explosive, and dynamic as he usually is. There have been times when he has broken ankles and turned poor situations into positive plays, though it’s evident that it’s not occurring like in past years.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”915666″ player=”26281″ title=”NFL%20Week%2014%20bold%20predictions” duration=”141″ description=”Let’s dive into our NFL Week 14 bold predictions.” uploaddate=”2021-12-07″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/thumb/915636_s_1638842186611.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/915636/915636.m3u8″]

It’s unclear what Cook’s role will be with the Vikings beyond this season. He is a well-paid, injury prone RB who is dealing with a very serious legal situation. In other words, the team may decide to move on for any number of reasons.

Minnesota, of course, isn’t thinking about the offseason right now. Zim, without question, is focusing all of his mental energy on winning this game and resurrecting this season. Generally speaking, Cook is a player who makes those goals much more attainable.

Leaning on Dalvin Cook for TNF will be playing with fire. It’s possible he makes it through the game relatively healthy. He could then enter the mini-bye week that follows Thursday games. Perhaps he’d be nearly 100% in time for Week 15’s Bears game.

All of this is possible, though it’s hard to be overly confident in this outcome. In every season since entering the NFL, Cook has missed time due to injury. His effectiveness has been limited at various points because of being hurt. Minnesota’s playoff push – if we can even call it that at this stage – extends beyond just this game. A less than 100% Cook may not even be as effective as a fully healthy Alexander Mattison tonight. Moreover, losing Cook beyond this week would surely lessen Minnesota’s chances of pulling off the miracle playoff run.

With all that in mind, it’s hard not to believe that playing Cook would be a mistake. Hopefully, the Vikings are simply leaking this info to Pelissero to force Pittsburgh into some last minute game-planning for Cook.



Share: