The Minnesota Vikings have a primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on tap Thursday night that could have plenty of playoff implications down the road. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Vikings are expecting to have second-year running back Dalvin Cook on the field for the game.
The #Vikings expect RB Dalvin Cook to play tonight, and he did take part in today’s walk-through, source said. They will watch him carefully in warmups to be sure his hamstring responds properly and will be on a pitch count vs. the #Rams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 27, 2018
Cook missed last week's game due to a hamstring injury that flared up in the latter portions of the 29-29 tie against Green Bay Packers in Week 2. He had been steadily picking up his level of activity in the last few days, which had him on track to take the field for Thursday's tilt. The return of Cook gives the Vikings' offense a key factor back in the fold that could play a pivotal role in the running game against Los Angeles.
The 23-year-old has been utilized as a versatile offensive option out of the backfield this year with 78 rushing yards on 26 carries along with nine catches for 107 receiving yards. Cook has demonstrated the ability to be a high-impact player when healthy, though he has missed 13 out of the first 19 regular-season games of his career. The Vikings may look to ease him back into the fold to see what he can handle before handing him a huge workload in his first game back.
The Vikings are coming off a disappointing 27-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills that saw them struggle greatly offensively. The running game was a complete non-factor in the contest, compiling just 14 yards with backup Latavius Murray garnering just one rushing yard on two attempts. Granted, the flow of the game pushed running the ball out of the mix, but it is the type of performance Minnesota will look to put behind them against Los Angeles.
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