Less-than-best Adrian Peterson left Vikings wanting
By Tom Powers
Updated: 12/07/2009 08:05:59 AM CST
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.