Dalvin Cook reportedly expected to miss key NFC North showdown vs. Packers

From the moment Dalvin Cook went down against the Los Angeles Chargers, it was clear the shoulder injury was a bad one.

Cook, who has had a breakout year for the Minnesota Vikings, is unlikely to play on Monday night against the Green Bay Packers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin added the team could sit Cook for the rest of the regular season in hopes he’s healthy for the playoffs.

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It’s obviously a big blow to the offense with the Packers game coming up.

Dalvin Cook likely to miss key game

The Vikings need to win Monday night to keep their hopes of an NFC North division title alive. If the Packers win, they clinch. If the Packers lose they can still win the division with a victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 17, but at least with a win Monday the Vikings would be alive heading into the finale.

The Vikings are very likely to get a wild-card spot regardless. The Los Angeles Rams are mathematically alive, but barely.

The Vikings are also looking at the possibility of being without Alexander Mattison, Cook’s impressive rookie backup. He missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. We’ll see if he can return to practice this week. If Cook and Mattison are out, Mike Boone would take over lead back duties. Boone had 56 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries last week against the Chargers after Cook went down.

With most fantasy football leagues playing their championship game this week, Boone will be a popular pickup.

Cook had a great 2019 season

Cook was on his way to a phenomenal season, but his first big injury of the year slowed down his pace.

Cook suffered what was termed a chest injury against Seattle on Dec. 2. In the two games since, Cook averaged just 3.3 yards per carry and had five catches for 29 yards.

The Vikings built their offense around Cook this season and he played very well, with 1,654 total yards and 13 touchdowns. Now the Vikings seemingly hope he’s back to his old self by their first playoff game.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab