The Minnesota Vikings are back at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night, where they will take on the NFC North leading Green Bay Packers. In a game that usually comes down to the wire, the Vikings are looking like they’ll be without one of their top players.
According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, it is unlikely Dalvin Cook plays on Monday night, and there have been several reports saying that Cook’s regular season has come to an end.
Vikings' RB Dalvin Cook is unlikely to play Monday night vs. Packers, per sources.https://t.co/knG4lwCVu7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 19, 2019
Not only is Cook unlikely to play, but rookie running back Alexander Mattison has also been held out of both Thursday and Friday’s practices. Not practicing on the Friday leading up to a game is usually an indication that given player won’t play. However, the Vikings play on Monday Night Football, so they will have an extra day to work out their top two running backs on their depth chart.
The Packers are coming into this game ranking 24th in terms of run defense, allowing opponents to average nearly 121 yards per game. Having Cook and Mattison would obviously be beneficial to the Vikings, but Mike Boone is more than capable of filling their roles against the Packers.
Until last week against the Chargers, Boone hasn’t played a ton of meaningful football since his senior season at Cincinnati. Vikings fans who have paid attention to the team in the preseason have seen the second year running back run with a physical style.
Of course, being a star in the preseason doesn’t always translate to playing well in the regular season, but Boone now has the chance to show what he can do.
During his pro day at Cincinnati, Boone put out some of the best metrics for a running back entering the NFL in 2018. According to 247Sports Bearcat Journal, Boone ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, had a 138 inch broad jump and a 42 inch vertical. Again, these numbers don’t necessarily mean anything, but it shows how athletic Boone is.
To put those numbers into comparison, Cook ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, had a 116 inch broad jump and a 30.5 inch vertical at his combine.
Earlier this week, Kirk Cousins discussed was quoted on his podcast saying Boone is the real deal.
“Mike Boone is the real deal. There’s real power & ability with the way he runs the football. He comes with intentions to make people miss or to run them over… [We’re] excited about what he can do running the football.”
—Kirk Cousins on Under Center#Vikings
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) December 18, 2019
Going up against a below average defense, Boone has a chance to really show off again not only to Vikings fans, but to the entire world. His physical yet athletic running style combined with the Gary Kubiak outside zone running scheme should have him poised for success against the league’s 24th ranked run defense.
Boone is coming off a two quarter performance against the Chargers, where he ran the ball 13 times for 56 yards and two touchdowns. While averaging 4.3 yards per carry in Los Angelas, Boone stepped up for the absent Cook and Mattison.
The Vikings were questioned by many when they decided to keep four running backs and one fullback, all while only keeping four wide receivers on their 53-man roster. With the team 15 weeks through the regular season, it looks as if the front office made another great decision to keep Boone on the team.