Dalvin Cook says Minnesota Vikings are ‘not in panic mode’ yet
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings running back has gone back-and-forth on his hamstring injury and could be a game-time decision against the Los Angeles Rams.
The past couple days of Minnesota Vikings news has been nothing short of a buzzkill. After taking a deep breath after a tie in Green Bay, the Vikings turned around and laid an egg in a 27-6 loss against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. Things got worse when defensive lineman Everson Griffen was sent to a medical facility for a mental evaluation after a strange series of events beginning on Saturday afternoon.
Swept under the rug has been the injury to Dalvin Cook’s hamstring. The initial feeling was that after sitting out Sunday’s rush against the Bills, Cook would be ready to go for Thursday night’s tilt with the Los Angeles Rams. However, Cook registered a DNP designation in a projected practice report on Monday.
Despite the anxiety surrounding Vikings fans the past couple of days, Cook is not about to partake in any #ValhallaIsBurning hashtags any time soon and is instead focusing on preparing the Vikings offense for the Rams.
"“It’s not a rush,” Cook said on Monday. “We’re not in panic mode. This team is still working every week. This team is still getting better. There are a lot of things we need to work on. The game just got out of hand. Everything fell right for them and we just got to get a better start and that’s what today and tomorrow is for — to get ready for the Thursday game.”"
The Vikings could certainly use Cook’s presence in the backfield come Thursday as Minnesota generated just 14 yards on the ground in Sunday’s loss. While Cook went on to say that there is a good chance he’ll play against the Rams, he also had a more cautious tone when talking to reporters on Tuesday.
#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook on hamstring: "I’m still taking this thing day to day and seeing how I feel Thursday. It’s about a feeling. It’s about how you feel with a hamstring. ... It’s just something you can’t control so it’s just how it feels. Thursday.''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 25, 2018
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The St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson also added that head coach Mike Zimmer said that the team there is a “possibility” that Cook will play on Sunday. Neither statement sounds like a ringing endorsement and it could be that the Vikings decide to rest Cook 11 more days before another NFC showdown at Philadelphia.