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The New Orleans Saints will be facing a better version of the Minnesota Vikings than has taken the field in recent weeks, because star running back Davlin Cook is returning to the lineup. Cook missed the final two regular season games with a chest injury, but he’ll be rested and ready for the Saints during Sunday’s wild-card round game.
“It’s a long season. You go through a lot, your body takes a lot,” Cook told Lindsey Young of Vikings.com. “I got some rest, and I’m ready to go.”
Cook gained a team-leading 1,135 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdown runs in 14 games, a rate of 81.1 yards per game on the ground. He also ranked second-most in both receptions (53, on 63 targets) and receiving yards (519) for Minnesota, chipping in 37.1 yards per game through the air. He’s a dynamic weapon who should seriously threaten the Saints defense’s streak of 42 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.
Additionally, Minnesota could be welcoming the return of backup running back Alexander Mattison, a rookie the Saints scouted during his career at Boise State. Mattison missed the last three games with an ankle issue, but he and Cook were each spotted at Wednesday’s Vikings practice in helmets, going through drills in their usual first- and second-string rotation. The Vikings offensive line remains vulnerable, but both of these runners are capable of creating something out of nothing, and that should keep the Saints defense wary.
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