Vikings facing big injury issues ahead of game against Lions
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will not play Sunday against the Lions. Neither will left tackle Christian Darrisaw, while linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks and cornerback Mackensie Alexander are questionable for the key divisional game.
Cook injured his shoulder in last week's loss to the 49ers, with multiple reports saying he dislocated his shoulder and suffered a torn labrum. His absence means Alexander Mattison will become the lead back, while rookie Kene Nwangwu, who has two kickoff returns for touchdowns, could also get some carries.
Darrisaw is dealing with an ankle injury and will undoubtedly be replaced in the starting lineup by Rashod Hill.
If one or both of Barr (knee/hamstring) and Kendricks (biceps) can't play, the Vikings will be in big trouble at linebacker.
The good news is that head coach Mike Zimmer said he expects defensive tackle Michael Pierce to return from an injury that has kept him out since Week 3. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson may also be back after being activated from the COVID-19 list.
Zimmer said cornerback Patrick Peterson could also be activated from the COVID list in time for Sunday's noon kickoff in the Motor City.
Backup cornerback/safety Camryn Bynum is out because of an ankle injury.
The Lions will not have star running back D'Andre Swift, who has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Title: Bring Me The Sports co-owner, editor Email: joe@bringmethenews.com Twitter: @JoeBMTN Education: Southwest Minnesota State University Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Expertise: All things Minnesota sports Nelson has covered Minnesota sports for two decades, starting his media career in sports radio. He worked at small market Minnesota stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before joining one of the nation's highest-rated sports stations, KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. There, he was the producer of the top-rated mid-morning sports show with Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen. His radio experience helped blossom a career as a sports writer, joining Minneapolis-based Bring Me The News in 2011. Nelson and Adam Uren became co-owners of Bring Me The News in 2018 and have since more than tripled the site's traffic and launched Bring Me The Sports in cooperation with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation umbrella. Nelson has covered the Super Bowl and numerous training camps, NFL combines, the MLB All-Star Game and Minnesota playoff games, in addition to the day-to-day happenings on and off the field of play. Nelson also has extensive knowledge of non-sports subjects, including news and weather. He works closely with Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to produce a bevy of weather and climate information for Minnesota readers. Nelson helped launch and manage the Bring Me The News Radio Network, which provided more than 50 radio stations around Minnesota with daily news, sports and weather reports from 2011-17.