Seahawks-Vikings: Minnesota to ‘continue to play’ Dalvin Cook despite ankle sprain

Running back Dalvin Cook, who is no stranger to injuries, will suit up Sunday despite a minor ankle sprain, according to Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.

Cook suffered his most recent injury in the second quarter last Sunday against Arizona. Cook’s career has seen him deal with a number of more serious injuries, including an ACL tear in 2017 and two separate shoulder tears in college. Last year, Cook suffered a groin injury during the Vikings’ Week 5 lost against Seattle which caused him to have to sit for the remainder of the game after he got off to a hot start.

So what does Cook’s latest injury mean for the Seahawks this weekend?

Probably not a whole lot, gameplan-wise. The Vikings will stick to their outside zone running scheme, similar to what the Titans were able to use to great effect in the second half of last week’s game, and Cook should still get at least 20 carries. The only real change for this game is that Cook has a slightly higher chance of re-injury.

Furthermore, despite the fact that Cook has gashed opposing defenses across the NFL with his speed and quickness over the past few years, Cook has never rushed for more than 65 yards against Seattle in 3 tries, and is averaging just under 50 yards per game. Should this trend hold, the Seahawks will be fine on Sunday, but keep in mind that Alexander Mattison was able to rush for more than 100 yards in last year’s game after Cook went out with an injury, having already rushed for 65. If we are to believe that most recent result to be the greatest indicator of how the Seahawks’ run defense will perform this weekend, they are definitely in big trouble.