Dalvin Cook’s return could be bright spot in Vikings’ lost season

The Minnesota Vikings will be getting stronger on the ground with Dalvin Cook expected to return.

The Minnesota Vikings fan base is going through a phase in 2020. With the team sitting at 1-5, it feels like all things are lost moving into the second half of the season.

Before the franchise blows its horn to surrender in a wild year, however, at least there’s some positive news regarding the offense. According to Vikings’ coach Mike Zimmer, running back Dalvin Cook is expected to return to practice this week.

Cook’s last outing ended on a sour note to begin the second half against the Seattle Seahawks. On the opening drive in the third quarter, he would leave with a groin injury and not return to watch the Vikings implode on themselves late. Cook was held out last week in an embarrassing 40-23 loss to the then-winless Atlanta Falcons.

Given the bye week to recover, it seems like Cook should be near full-strength for Sunday’s outing against the Green Bay Packers. Zimmer has yet to state if the Pro Bowl running back will be seeing a massive number of carries against the Packers’ top-tier defense.

Dalvin Cook is dishing up a strong season in the NFC North

Cook is one of the few bright spots in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for the impending season. Last week, the team announced they had traded defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens six games after trading for him this offseason. The team also will be short-handed in the pass-rushing department as Zimmer announced Danielle Hunter would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing neck surgery.

With Kirk Cousins flopping, the run game has been the one constant on either side of the ball. Prior to exiting Week 5, Cook led the NFL in rushing with 424 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Without him, Alexander Mattison struggled as the lead back, finishing with 26 yards on 10 carries against Atlanta.

Even in a down year, Cook brings hope to the team as their new face. After signing a five-year, $63 million extension in the offseason, he was on the path to living up to the massive contract. Can he still be productive now back in the starting role?

If early indications showed the future, Cook should be slicing and dicing defenses on his way to a rushing title by season’s end. At least that’s a positive in Minneapolis, right?