Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago

Less-than-best Adrian Peterson left Vikings wanting 

By Tom Powers

Updated: 12/07/2009 08:05:59 AM CST

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GLENDALE, Ariz. Last week, Adrian Peterson set the record for most miles per hour by a sober Viking. And then he held off a determined Bernard Berrian by a mere 5 mph, 109-104, a few days later. The record for a non-sober Viking belongs to Koren Robinson who, if memory serves, was clocked at 118 during training camp in Mankato in 2006. That is the (Cuervo) gold standard and may never be approached.

But A.P. wasn't nearly so conspicuous Sunday night as the Vikings got their hats handed to them by the Arizona Cardinals. They sure could have used Peterson, their best player, to have a big game. Instead, they clearly were the second-best team on the field.

"I won't say it's frustration," Peterson said of Sunday night's 30-17 pasting. "It's anger about the loss. You display that kind of effort, this is the outcome that you have."

Maybe, but the Vikings didn't lose to the Cardinals because they made mistakes or, as coaches say, "beat themselves." They lost because they were outplayed. There's no reason to panic, but this shows that there still is work to do between now and Feb. 7. And the veneer of invincibility has taken a hit.

Perhaps the team bus went over a giant pothole on the way to the stadium and everyone bumped their heads. More likely, the Cardinals were able to exploit Minnesota's weaknesses, which in itself caught the Vikings by surprise. Not many teams have been able to do that.

In Peterson's case, the Cardinals named strong safety Adrian Wilson the designated driver. Almost every time Peterson touched the ball, Wilson would drive his shoulder into him. Or at least try to.

"Like a safety spy thing," Peterson said with a wane smile. "At times I was matched up against a linebacker, but Adrian Wilson was around a lot."

Peterson's 13 yards rushing were the second lowest of his career. He had one carry for 11 yards. The other 12 netted just eight yards. By that time, Brett Favre had to throw on every down.

The team's best player has to produce when he's needed most. That was evident Sunday afternoon when quarterback Drew Brees carried the undefeated New Orleans Saints to an impressive comeback victory over the Washington Redskins. But that was not evident Sunday night when Peterson could do nothing to spark the out-of-whack Vikings. And all that talk about defenses putting, oh, 19 men in the box grows tedious after a while. An elite back has to get it done.

It's not all on Peterson, obviously. Phil Loadholt suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter and was classified as "questionable" for the rest of the game. But he returned a short time later. Afterwards, he said he was able to return but really didn't have any strength.

Bryant McKinnie also needed tending to on the field. He also returned a short time later.

"I don't think I'm allowed to talk about injuries, but we both were able to come back," McKinnie said. Asked if he were close to a hundred percent when he came back, he just shrugged and said: "I had no choice."

He really didn't. The offensive line is banged up. Guard Anthony Herrera already is out with in injury. With McKinnie and Loadholt out for a few plays, untested rookie Jon Cooper had to come in for a snap.

Needless to say, Favre was knocked around. Once in the third quarter he was body slammed to the ground so hard that Tarvaris Jackson went on the disabled list. The line struggled to protect and, no doubt, to run block. There were times, however, when Peterson appeared to be on ice skates, slipping to the turf while trying to cut.

"Yeah, I slipped a couple of times," Peterson said. "It was slippery. The other guys (Cardinals) weren't slipping too much."

The further behind the Vikings fell, the more Favre had to throw. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were mixing it up on defense, coming with three, four or five men on the pass rush. The banged-up line struggled to adjust.

Minnesota might need to find more depth for that line, which is good when healthy. The Vikings need to get Antoine Winfield healthy. Winfield has a fractured foot, and until he heals, the Vikings do not have a lockdown cornerback. That was evident Sunday night as the secondary was embarrassed. However, it should be noted there was no pass rush, either.

Mostly, they need Peterson to terrorize the opposing defense. The Vikings are a different team when he's on a roll. He makes the offense almost impossible to defend against. That's what a team's best player is supposed to do. That's what didn't happen against the Cardinals.

Tom Powers can be reached at tpowers@pioneerpress.com.


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Formo
15 years ago
I hate Powers. Well, really, I hate almost EVERYONE of the sports hacks in the TC media.

But he was pretty spot on in that article.

I have a bad feeling that AP will never be the guy we've seen the past 2 seasons if he doesn't learn this patience thing.

I can live with the fumbles if he's 2007 or 2008 AP. But 2009 AP with the lack of patience? No.
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DakotaT
15 years ago

I hate Powers. Well, really, I hate almost EVERYONE of the sports hacks in the TC media.

But he was pretty spot on in that article.

I have a bad feeling that AP will never be the guy we've seen the past 2 seasons if he doesn't learn this patience thing.

I can live with the fumbles if he's 2007 or 2008 AP. But 2009 AP with the lack of patience? No.

"Formo" wrote:




Can we agree that he is a world beater against the weak sisters and just a regular running back against the good tackling teams. This deity given the guy makes me ill.
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Formo
15 years ago

I hate Powers. Well, really, I hate almost EVERYONE of the sports hacks in the TC media.

But he was pretty spot on in that article.

I have a bad feeling that AP will never be the guy we've seen the past 2 seasons if he doesn't learn this patience thing.

I can live with the fumbles if he's 2007 or 2008 AP. But 2009 AP with the lack of patience? No.

"DakotaT" wrote:




Can we agree that he is a world beater against the weak sisters and just a regular running back against the good tackling teams. This deity given the guy makes me ill.

"Formo" wrote:



I can't even agree with that. Chris Johnson ran all over the Cards last week. I'm willing to bet he's got some patience to let his blocks set up, too. It's not against the 'good tackling teams' that AP doesn't do well against.. I don't follow Arizona, but I don't think they have tackled that well all year long. Thus, I can't say if they are a good tackling team. But I can say that a part of the lack of run game this year from the Vikings is not just because of poor run blocking, but is partially because AP doesn't wait for said blockers to set up.

The year AP broke the single game rushing mark, was against a tough San Diego defense. They were known (if I remember correctly) as a hard defense to run against. Merriman and that CB that's fast as hell (can't think of his name).

I think AP's skills are second to almost no one.. But his mind needs a little tweaking.
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DakotaT
15 years ago

I hate Powers. Well, really, I hate almost EVERYONE of the sports hacks in the TC media.

But he was pretty spot on in that article.

I have a bad feeling that AP will never be the guy we've seen the past 2 seasons if he doesn't learn this patience thing.

I can live with the fumbles if he's 2007 or 2008 AP. But 2009 AP with the lack of patience? No.

"Formo" wrote:




Can we agree that he is a world beater against the weak sisters and just a regular running back against the good tackling teams. This deity given the guy makes me ill.

"DakotaT" wrote:



I can't even agree with that. Chris Johnson ran all over the Cards last week. I'm willing to bet he's got some patience to let his blocks set up, too. It's not against the 'good tackling teams' that AP doesn't do well against.. I don't follow Arizona, but I don't think they have tackled that well all year long. Thus, I can't say if they are a good tackling team. But I can say that a part of the lack of run game this year from the Vikings is not just because of poor run blocking, but is partially because AP doesn't wait for said blockers to set up.

The year AP broke the single game rushing mark, was against a tough San Diego defense. They were known (if I remember correctly) as a hard defense to run against. Merriman and that CB that's fast as hell (can't think of his name).

I think AP's skills are second to almost no one.. But his mind needs a little tweaking.

"Formo" wrote:



I knew you were going to bring up that San Diego game. Go back and you'll find out that they had 3 of their starters out to injury. The reason Peterson isn't doing well this year is that your O-line is pedestrian but billed as tops in the league. Hutchinson is a stud but the rest leave a lot to be desired. If they were flagged they should be, you'd really notice.

I'm not saying he sucks at all. His skills are top notch, but lets figure out once what his fumbles cost you and start giving some demerits.
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Gravedigga
15 years ago
I really like this Tom Powers guy. Not once did he blame Favre for teh loss. I salute you.
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A wise man once said
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You are weak, pathetic and immature..............I would have d
Formo
15 years ago

I hate Powers. Well, really, I hate almost EVERYONE of the sports hacks in the TC media.

But he was pretty spot on in that article.

I have a bad feeling that AP will never be the guy we've seen the past 2 seasons if he doesn't learn this patience thing.

I can live with the fumbles if he's 2007 or 2008 AP. But 2009 AP with the lack of patience? No.

"DakotaT" wrote:




Can we agree that he is a world beater against the weak sisters and just a regular running back against the good tackling teams. This deity given the guy makes me ill.

"Formo" wrote:



I can't even agree with that. Chris Johnson ran all over the Cards last week. I'm willing to bet he's got some patience to let his blocks set up, too. It's not against the 'good tackling teams' that AP doesn't do well against.. I don't follow Arizona, but I don't think they have tackled that well all year long. Thus, I can't say if they are a good tackling team. But I can say that a part of the lack of run game this year from the Vikings is not just because of poor run blocking, but is partially because AP doesn't wait for said blockers to set up.

The year AP broke the single game rushing mark, was against a tough San Diego defense. They were known (if I remember correctly) as a hard defense to run against. Merriman and that CB that's fast as hell (can't think of his name).

I think AP's skills are second to almost no one.. But his mind needs a little tweaking.

"DakotaT" wrote:



I knew you were going to bring up that San Diego game. Go back and you'll find out that they had 3 of their starters out to injury. The reason Peterson isn't doing well this year is that your O-line is pedestrian but billed as tops in the league. Hutchinson is a stud but the rest leave a lot to be desired. If they were flagged they should be, you'd really notice.

I'm not saying he sucks at all. His skills are top notch, but lets figure out once what his fumbles cost you and start giving some demerits.

"Formo" wrote:



Injuries don't mean much. How many injuries does any given NFL team have on any given week? Yes, they have a factor in the game, but at the same time, it's not like a team that has a few injuries isn't facing another team that has an injury or two.

I agree that our O line isn't playing very good. I could use the injury argument here, though I won't. I will say that it seem they are giving Favre just enough time to make one move before slinging it. As far as the run game.. I think it's a combination of lackluster play on their part and impatience by a certain #28.

And the same penalty argument can be used for just about every other O line in the league. Just like throwing the flags on any given secondary. I think that point is pretty moot.

I can agree with your last statement about AP. It's not his physical skills I'm ripping on. It's his mental skills I'm upset about. And I'm not so sure now that he's in his 3rd year in the league that he'll be prone to changing them.
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