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NFC North Power Rankings: 2018 running backs

By Brian Sampson

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 08: Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 08: Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 1: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings grabs his knee after fumbling the ball while being tackled by defender Tavon Wilson #32 of the Detroit Lions in the third quarter of the game on October 1, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cook was injured on the play and left the game for the locker room. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 1: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings grabs his knee after fumbling the ball while being tackled by defender Tavon Wilson #32 of the Detroit Lions in the third quarter of the game on October 1, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cook was injured on the play and left the game for the locker room. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

3. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings get their second consecutive third-place finish and their fans probably aren’t going to be happy about it. Behind Chicago’s Jordan Howard, Dalvin Cook might be the most talented back in the division.

Cook was off to a nice start last season, rushing for 354 yards in four games and averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL and missed the rest of the season.

This sent the Vikings run game into a tailspin despite averaging the seventh-most rush yards per game as a team at 122.3. This number is mostly inflated due to the large number of carries they doled out. 501 to be exact, which was second most in the league last year.

Perhaps, the more accurate number is their yards per carry which sat at 3.9-22nd in the NFL. Their two premier backs, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon both averaged 3.9 yards or fewer and McKinnon has now moved on to another team.

With Cook hoping to return early in the season, the Vikings could get their lead back to return. However, we never know for certain how players will return from a serious injury like this.

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