Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds vs. Bears in Week 17
Stud: Mike Boone
With the absence of both staring running back Dalvin Cook and backup running back Alexander Mattison, who both missed Sunday’s contest for the second straight week, Mike Boone once again overtook the primary ball-carrying duties on the ground for Minnesota against Chicago.
After struggling against the Green Bay Packers in a Week 16 loss at home last Monday night, a game where Boone tallied just 28 yards rushing while being held out of the end zone, the running back bounced back and helped lead the Vikings in the regular season finale.
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Boone finished the game with a season-high 148 yards rushing on a total of 17 carries, also adding one rushing touchdown in the game for Minnesota. Boone’s presence could be big to help the Vikings rushing depth heading into the playoffs next week.
Dud: Most of Vikings starters sitting
Although you could also look at that as a positive, since that means that the Vikings are ultimately going to be taking part in the postseason and didn’t want to risk having any of their key players riding into the postseason with injuries, the fact that Minnesota was without many of its starters on Sunday was kind of a dud throughout the game.
Going into the matchup at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the Vikings announced that many key players would be inactive in the game while they try to either get fully healthy or Minnesota didn’t want to risk any injuries to them in Week 17.
Those players included running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, along with key players such as linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, offensive linemen Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill, among others.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs were also a few players that didn’t take part in the contest for Minnesota ahead of its Wild Card matchup next weekend.