NFL Notebook: Vikings RB Cook (hamstring) likely out again

Head coach Mike Zimmer said on Wednesday that he hopes running back Dalvin Cook can play on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints but, according to media reports, Cook is expected to miss a fourth straight game and perhaps more because of a hamstring injury. ESPN reported that Cook will miss the next two games and could return in Week 11 after the Vikings' bye week before possibly returning on Nov. 18 against the Chicago Bears. Cook sustained the injury during overtime of the Vikings' Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers. He has rushed 36 times for 98 yards this season and catching nine passes for 107 yards in parts of three games this season. Without Cook in the lineup on a regular basis, the Vikings (4-2-1) have struggled with their running game and enter Week 8 ranked 27th in the league with an average of 87.4 yards per game. Latavius Murray, who has rushed for 330 yards and three touchdowns, will continue to start in place of Cook, with Mike Boone and Roc Thomas in reserve. --Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals, whose left foot was in a walking boot after he sustained a toe injury last Thursday night against the Denver Broncos, practiced with his teammates. The 21-year-old Rosen, who missed practice on Monday, apparently is on schedule to start on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, although the Cardinals have not issued an update on his condition. Rosen, the Cardinals first-round draft choice (No. 10 overall) out of UCLA this year, had the worst performance of his young career against the Broncos. The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder threw three interceptions, two which were returned for touchdowns while being sacked six times and losing two fumbles. Rosen came up limping after one of the sacks late in the game. --The New York Jets placed running back Bilal Powell on injured reserve with a neck injury, the team announced. Powell sustained the injury during the second quarter of Sunday's 37-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Isaiah Crowell will serve as the starter for the Jets (3-4), who visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Powell and Crowell have split the rushes this season, with the former receiving one less carry (80) for 343 yards. Powell also added 11 receptions, including a 28-yard touchdown catch against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The 29-year-old Powell has rushed 791 times for 3,446 yards with 15 touchdowns in 96 career contests with the Jets. He resides one yard shy of Adrian Murrell for 10th place on the franchise's rushing list. He also has 264 receptions for 1,567 yards during his eight-year career with the Jets. --Former New England Patriots head coach Rod Rust died Tuesday morning at the age of 90, the team announced on Wednesday. The Patriots said they were "deeply saddened to learn" of Rust's passing. Rust served as the Patriots' defensive coordinator from 1983-87, helping the club advance to Super Bowl XX in 1985 before falling to the Chicago Bears. He returned to the franchise in 1990 to serve as the head coach, replacing Raymond Berry. His tenure was short-lived as the team limped to a 1-15 mark. Rust had stints as a position coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers as well as a defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Patriots. Rust also coached college football teams for 14 years -- including serving as a mentor to future Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene at North Texas -- and in the Canadian Football League for an additional seven years. --Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson took to social media to declare that he is interested in helping the team get back on its feet. Peterson's post on Twitter came two days after he reportedly requested a trade from the Cardinals (1-6). "I've been incredibly frustrated with how the season has gone," the seven-time Pro Bowl selection wrote. "But my energy is 100% focused on being part of the solution & helping us turn this around. "I've never shied away from a challenge before and I'm not starting now. I have always given my all to the Cardinals organization & fans. That is what I intend to do for the years to come. I am an Arizona Cardinal, and my focus is on this week's game." The 28-year-old Peterson reportedly met with Cardinals president Michael Bidwill for 30 minutes on Tuesday. --The New York Giants executed their second high-profile trade in as many days, sending defensive tackle Damon Harrison to the Detroit Lions for a fifth-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported. The came on the heels of New York sending former first-round cornerback Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints. The Giants (1-6) acquired the Saints' fourth-round pick in 2019 and a seventh-rounder in 2020 in that deal. By parting ways with Harrison, New York freed up more than $8 million under the salary cap in 2019. "Goodbye New Jersey...I gave everything I had. Y'all be good," Harrison wrote on Twitter. "Much love to my teammates, the amazing staffs, coaches, and all the fans. This is my second home because of you." --The NFL announced the times for the two games played in Week 15 on Saturday, Dec. 15, and two more on Saturday, Dec. 22, on the NFL Network. The Houston Texans will visit rookie Sam Darnold and the New York Jets at 4:30 p.m. ET. Speaking of rookies, top overall pick Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns will play in prime time when they travel to Denver to face the Broncos at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Washington Redskins will visit the Tennessee Titans at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 22. The Baltimore Ravens at the Los Angeles Chargers contest will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET. Tennessee will have three of its final six regular-season games in prime time while Washington will be playing in its third night game in 2018. The Redskins, who were drilled by the New Orleans Saints earlier this season, play on Thanksgiving. --The Denver Broncos released Chad Kelly on Wednesday, one day after the quarterback was arrested on suspicion of first-degree criminal trespass. Kelly appeared briefly in court on Wednesday, and a court date was set for Nov. 8. Kelly has not yet been formally charged. Per a release from the Englewood (Colo.) Police Department, Kelly illegally entered a home on Tuesday morning and was later chased by the resident. Officers spotted a man matching the description from the homeowner and identified him as Kelly. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Arapahoe County Jail. "This was a decision that we made as an organization," Broncos general manager John Elway said. "After reviewing all the information and in talking with Vance (Joseph, coach) and Joe (Ellis, CEO), we agreed that releasing Chad was the right thing to do. Even though Chad's no longer part of our team, we've offered to help him however we can and are supportive of him in every possible way." Kelly, who posted a $2,500 bond and was released from custody, has a history of off-the-field issues. --Free-agent running back Jamaal Charles appears ready to call it a career. Charles, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, alluded to reaching the end of the line with his NFL career on social media. "I'm so thankful and grateful. Thanks Jaguars for opportunity. It probably was my last chance putting on a jersey again," Charles wrote on Instagram. Charles is the NFL's all-time leader in yards per carry by a running back, with a 5.4-yard average. He also joins Jim Brown and Barry Sanders as the only three players in NFL history with at least five seasons of 1,000 yards and an average of five yards per carry. The 31-year-old Charles had only with six carries for seven yards for the Jaguars. In his career, Charles has 1,407 carries for 7,563 yards and 44 touchdowns in 119 games with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Jaguars. He also had 310 receptions for 2,593 yards and 20 scores. --Quarterback Cam Newton was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after helping the Carolina Panthers overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to post a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Newton completed 16 of 22 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes for the Panthers. Denver Broncos wideout Emmanuel Sanders was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after reeling in six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 45-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording four of his team's seven sacks in Sunday's 39-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Indianapolis Colts safety Mike Mitchell was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after notching seven tackles and one interception in Sunday's 37-5 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Atlanta Falcons kicker Giorgio Tavecchio was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 3-for-3 on field goals -- including a 56-yard attempt -- in a 23-20 win over the New York Giants on Monday. New England Patriots' Dont'a Hightower was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt that was recovered by fellow linebacker Kyle Van Noy for a touchdown in Sunday's 38-31 win over the Chicago Bears.