Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday said the offense will have to find a way to be productive without Cook, who ranks fifth in the league (and leads the NFC) with 773 rushing yards. "If he does miss a game, obviously he'll be extremely missed," Thielen said. "His play on the field, his leadership ability, things like that. "But at the end of the day, we'll figure that out this week," Thielen added. "And then we'll put our best foot forward as far as trying to move the ball and score points and help this team win." Cook's injury could open the door for Alexander Mattison, who has made two starts in Cook's place already this season. Mattison shined with 112 rushing yards against Seattle in Week 3, and then set a new career-high with 113 rushing yards against Detroit in Week 5. The 2019 third-round pick has made four career starts, tallying 95-plus rushing yards in three of them. "He's done a nice job when he's been in there," Zimmer said. "We anticipate him, if he has to play, going in there and playing well." The Vikings will have to finish their Week 12 game against the 49ers without star running back Dalvin Cook. Cook came up injured after awkwardly falling to the ground while being tackled. He had taken the ball on a rush attempt but was quickly met by a 49ers defender, Kevin Givens. Cook bent over backward as Givens pushed him to the ground.
SNF: Why Lamar Jackson couldn't play vs. Bears in Week 11 It was immediately clear that Cook had been injured. He fumbled and remained down long after the play. The Vikings eventually got the cart out for Cook and he was greeted by his teammates as he exited the field with tears in his eyes.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: AFC, NFC races after Week 12 action The Vikings later announced that Cook had suffered a shoulder injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Cook totaled 39 yards on 10 carries before exiting the game. He wasn't targeted in the passing game and also fumbled. MORE: Kliff Kingsbury listed as a potential replacement for Lincoln Riley It's unclear exactly how long Cook may be sidelined, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Cook had suffered a torn labrum in his injured shoulder. He actually has a torn labrum in the other shoulder as well, so he is dealing with two injuries. However, the newest malady is not expected to be season-ending; Cook may miss a few games as the Vikings gear up for a playoff run, but he should have a chance to return eventually — if the Vikings can stay in the playoff hunt.
As long as Cook is out, Alexander Mattison will be the primary back for the Vikings. He has started two games this season and averaged 162 scrimmage yards per game in those contests. He also had a touchdown earlier in Minnesota's game against the 49ers while spelling Cook. Kene Nwangwu will also see action as Mattison's backup. Nwangwu has logged two kick return TDs this season and recorded his first carry against the 49ers. It went for seven yards Dalvin Cook's absence could end up being shorter than some may have expected. It might simply be a product of need. Cook (shoulder) is officially listed as questionable for Minnesota's Thursday night contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cook was upgraded from a non-participant in Monday's walk-through session to a limited participant in each of the last two days, though on a short week, those sessions don't involve a full workload typical of a normal game week. It's difficult to tell, then, just how close Cook is to playing in a pivotal game for Minnesota's playoff hopes. Cook suffered his shoulder injury -- a dislocation and torn labrum, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport -- in Minnesota's loss to San Francisco and did not play in the Vikings' last-second defeat to the previously winless Lions last weekend. Backup Alexander Mattison shouldered the load in Week 13, carrying the ball 22 times for 90 yards and one touchdown in the 29-27 loss. The Vikings remained optimistic Cook could come back after a few weeks of rest and rehabilitation, likely setting his return date for Week 15 against Chicago. Cook had followed a similar path of recovery late in the 2019 season before returning for the playoffs. A return Thursday would be ahead of that projected timeline, but might be necessary for the 5-7 Vikings. Minnesota is still in the race for a wild-card berth in the NFC, but needs to stack wins down the stretch in order to catch up to Washington and San Francisco, which own each of the final two wild-card spots with identical 6-6 records. Pittsburgh is in a similar situation at 6-5-1 and could use a win to attempt to gain ground on Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Buffalo, which all own 7-5 records through 13 weeks. Minnesota and Pittsburgh's Thursday night contest kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. A shoulder injury forced Dalvin Cook to miss the exciting conclusion of Sunday's 34-26 loss to the 49ers. Now, the club is awaiting word on whether or not he'll miss additional time. The Vikings star running back was ruled out after taking a hard hit from Niners defensive tackle Kevin Givens late in the third quarter. Cook laid on the ground in pain for several minutes before eventually getting carted off the field after being tended to by trainers. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said after the game that he's unsure of the extent of Cook's injury but more will be known once he undergoes an MRI. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Cook suffered a dislocation and the upcoming tests are to determine what damage the dislocation caused. In addition to the loss of one of their best players, the sequence proved costly for Minnesota in more ways than one as San Francisco seized momentum with a fumble recovery after Cook coughed up the ball on the play. The Vikings trailed 31-26 at the time of Cook's exit, and that deficit would increase after the Niners capitalized on the favorable field position with a Robbie Gould field goal four plays later. The Vikings would get two more chances to tie the game but came up empty. Alexander Mattison again proved his value as a capable backup but it's no secret Minnesota's final drives would've been bolstered by Cook's presence. Mattison finished the game with seven carries for 21 yards and a score, which came early in the third following a big Cook reception. Ranked sixth in rushing yards entering Week 12, Cook was in the midst of quiet afternoon on the ground before getting injured, rushing 10 times for 39 yards. He did, however, make up for that through the air with six catches for 64 yards. Should the results of the RB1's pending MRI mean more missed time, Mattison's role would increase exponentially in a pivotal Week 13 road clash with Detroit. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: profiles | section: | slug: | sport: football | route: player_profile_home | 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/playerprofiles
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What happened to Dalvin Cook?
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