Adrian Peterson

) Minnesota Vikings 10

Before anyone else, Chicago’s defense really made its stand against Adrian Peterson. Lovie Smith stacked the box against the Vikings on first and second down, holding Peterson to only 39 yards on 12 carries. That forced the ball in Donovan McNabb’s hands, where it consistently landed short of the receiver or the first down marker, either way it didn’t matter to the Bears. They just want to get off the field. Minnesota’s offense never found its spark, though back-up Christian Ponder did relieve McNabb in the second half. That was after the Bears knocked McNabb around, sacking the veteran five times on the night. Julius Peppers notched two sacks of his own and dominated Charles Johnson throughout the game, bad knee and all.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Recap: Bears 39, Vikings 10"

Leslie Frazier would prefer to hand off to Adrian Peterson all day and pound his way to a decisive win by keeping his defense fresh. If the Bears can’t wrap Peterson up on early drives, they’ll be in for a long, tiring afternoon. He’s the best running back in the NFL for a reason. He’ll destroy you if you let him.The Odds:

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And with the even bigger news that Adrian Peterson will be out for the game tonight with knee and ankle issues, the Bears shouldn’t be confused by the Viking offense one bit. Double up on Percy Harvin or Sidney Rice and wait for the Favre interceptions that are sure to rear their heads frequently. Guard Steve Hutchinson will be on the sidelines tonight, giving the interior rushers for the Bears an easier go at Favre.

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More than anyone else, the Bears must shut down Adrian Peterson early to get a win. If they can get help from the offense, Peterson will become less of a factor and won't be able to wear down Bear defenders as the game goes on. Peterson is so dangerous and his running style always gives the Bears fits, so let's avoid giving up record yardage today. Is that okay with you Lovie?

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Brad Childress finally gave Adrian Peterson the ball, racking up 145 yards on 29 carries, but it still wasn't enough to overcome the mistakes of number four. On the Miami sidelines, you have to be impressed with the 'Phins' defense that held the Vikings back on repeated goal line trips, but the offense has left little to be desired in these first two games. 29 points in two games normally doesn't get it done. Chad Henne needs to throw more than 15 passes if they expect to compete in the AFC East.

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They still have the electric Adrian Peterson, who still has fumbling issues. (Until I see otherwise, I don't believe he's changed.) Rookie Toby Gerhart will spell Peterson often, but Peterson has to overcome his problems to keep his "top back" status. Favre-favorite Sidney Rice will be out an extended period of time after hip surgery, leaving the Vikes thin at receiver. Bernard Berrian still has imposing speed outside the numbers, but he and Favre haven't quite caught on yet. Hopefully Percy Harvin overcomes his migraine problems and becomes a fixture in the slot. Trading for Greg Camarillo gives Favre a reliable target, if not quite a dynamic one. As it was last season, the offensive line has its faults. Tackle Bryant McKinnie was owned on the outside on a regular basis and the center position wasn't as solid as they'd like after Matt Birk left. Current center John Sullivan has missed the entire preseason and training camp with a calf injury, but is likely to start the season.

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They were credited with five fumbles (Favre, Peterson and Percy Harvin), three of which were lost. Adrian Peterson did rush for 122 yards and two scores but also fumbled twice, not including an early mishandled snap. It was amazing they were able to force overtime. With the loss, Brad Childress and the Vikes will be subject to the Brett Favre retirement drama and will dwell in quarterback limbo.

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Hopefully for coach Brad Childress he brought Adrian Peterson and his running game along for the ride. They'll need it to keep Drew Brees and the Saints offense on the sidelines. In an opposing dome, the Viking o-line must maintain their composure and avoid costly penalties that will put Favre in obvious passing situations. Percy Harvin is expected to play after missing practices all week with migraines. Minnesota's defense can rush the passer and stop the run with the best of the NFL, but they are weak in the secondary. Getting to Brees early and often could shift the balance in their purple-flavored-favor. Will Favre reach the Super Bowl and ignite sports nation in two weeks of hype?

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e relied heavily on his stout defense and a running game that was consistent while not spectacular. Adrian Peterson carried the ball 22 times for a meager 59 yards but kept the defense honest along with back-up Chester Taylor. Dallas did not have that luxury.

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There's cause for concern in Minnesota after the Vikings have failed to get Adrian Peterson going heading into the playoffs. We'll see how that plays out in two weeks.

(9-7) Houston Texans 34 

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Aaron Rodgers got beat up yet again, you have to feel sorry for the guy. Adrian Peterson failed to reach 100 rushing yards for the sixth time this season and the Vikings are STILL 7-1. That’s what they needed Favre for. Now we wait and see how the aged one holds up down the season’s home stretch. Next week’s bye should help. Gr.

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Key special teamer Adrian Peterson is expected to return for the game, so his kick coverage speed along with Garrett Wolfe will be sorely needed.  

If this contest has much drama, Lovie Smith didn’t prepare his team enough. No offense to the Browns, but they’re just horrible. There will be no excuse if the Bears lose to a team this inept. I’m looking forward to a hopefully relaxing Bears game this weekend.  

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ed for touchdowns last week by the Steelers, I think Brad Childress will maintain a healthy dose of Adrian Peterson against a still-gelling Green bay defensive unit. (Yes GB held the Lions and Browns to three points total, but I’m not sold yet.) 

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Against Favre and Adrian Peterson, they’ll need Troy at his best. With Ben Roethlisberger coming off a 400-yard passing game of his own and Vikings Pro Bowl corner Antoine Winfield doubtful with a foot injury, this has potential to turn into a shoot-out. 

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They even shut down Adrian Peterson, holding him to 55 yards on 25 carries. But Favre was efficient with the long ball and more importantly never turned the ball over. Aaron Rodgers had two turnovers, both of which led to touchdowns. (He also took a safety. Completely inexcusable in that situation.) Still, they’ll meet again. Next time it will be in Green Bay. 

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Aaron Rodgers should be just fine, Brett’ll hand off to Adrian Peterson quite a bit, but I wonder how Green Bay will play on defense? Daring Favre to beat you by stacking the line of scrimmage may work, but it might result in public backlash if Favre throws the Vikes to victory. Either way, I’m sitting down Monday night and rooting for Green Bay as hard as I can.

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Unfortunately, Niners QB Shaun Hill can’t put up enough points up to hang with Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and the Vikings for very long. Mike Singletary’s defense needs to go above and beyond if they’re going to stay undefeated.

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he Steelers have been set at this position for years.  It will be a great game with a focus on Adrian Peterson against the Steelers D. I'll give 6/10 to the Steelers

Week 8 -BYE-

Week 9 Steelers at Broncos

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e Tice regime) was just as productive as Tarvaris Jackson throwing to Bernard Berrian and giving to Adrian Peterson.  Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that Childress has come nowhere near delivering the "kick-ass" offense he promised a few seasons ago.  Sure, the defense has been incredible, but Chilly lucked out in that regard (and was likely helped by the presence of Mike Tomlin, now Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers), as the Wilfs had just doled out the money to Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, and Darren Sharper, while Kevin Williams was becoming a major inside force.

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nse, the Vikings looked more than decent against a difficult-to-decipher Philly defense and got two Adrian Peterson runs for scores.

At the half, then, with the Vikings trailing 16-14, I really thought that our Purple crew could pull it out.  The Eagles were doing absolutely nothing on offense, while

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eason no matter who is on the D-line) to keep the defense from tiring out, I think that Jackson and Adrian Peterson will thwart Philly's defense and score more than is expected of them.

Go Pu

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game than the score indicated.

Tarvaris Jackson was 16/26 with 239 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.  Adrian Peterson rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries.  Both Bobby Wade (98 yds) and Bernard Berrian (81 yards) turned in impressive performances.  Jackson's INT was also the only Vikings turnover lost in the contest.

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into a blowout, as every aspect of the game was clicking:

The running game was working well until Adrian Peterson kept fumbling away possessions (he finished with 76 yards), but Tarvaris Jackson also added 76 yards on the ground by himself and looked as exciting as the prime years of Daunte Culpepper.  What impressed me the most about Jackson's scrambling, though, is that he wasn't just running around like a chicken with his head cut off...instead, he ran when he saw big yardage and scrambled to avoid pressure and deliver an on-target pass when needed.

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star talent (Michael Turner, Matt Ryan, Roddy White) than the Vikings, so, again, a big effort from Adrian Peterson will likely be the key to victory.

However, I think the key matchup in the contest will be the Vikings' ability to put pressure on young Atlanta QB Matt Ryan (pictured above).  If the D-Line can hurry Ryan, their offense will get out of sync and become one-dimensional.  If he is allowed to stand in the pocket and deliver clean passes, though, there is a good chance that White or Michael Jenkins will haul them in against a Purple secondary that needs help up front to succeed.

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e had never seen from him until this point) to give the Vikings a lead, after which point they rode Adrian Peterson (165 yards) for the rest of the game.  Throw in the tremendous pressure that the defense put on Kurt Warner and the Arizona receivers, and a blowout was almost inevitable.

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ever, before we anoint Jackson as the newest old savior, consider the fact that he pretty much rode Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor for the entire second half.  Against the Lions that was acceptable, as the Vikes were not afraid in the least of Detroit's offense (in fact, Detroit having the ball played right into MN's hands).  So, even hanging on to a slim lead, the Vikes were content to pound the line and not try anything too crazy.

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Coming into Sunday night's nationally televised contest against the Bears, the Vikes were a team (and a fan base) that expected a victory.  Remarkably (if you know anything about the Vikes in pressure situations!), that is exactly what transpired, with an exclamation mark!  Why did the Vikings have no excuse not to win this game?  A quick recent-history lesson:

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Forte still didn’t have a legitimate back-up, with Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe adding only one carry apiece. Kevin Jones was not even active for this contest, making it all but certain he won’t be re-signed in the off-season. The biggest issue besides Orton’s interceptions was the sloppy play of the wide receivers and tight ends. Too many times they were hit in stride by Orton passes and failed to bring in the catch. Hester and Olsen each had throws hit them in the hands or arm but couldn’t focus on making the reception amidst tight coverage. When your best playmakers can’t get the ball in their hands, it proves to be problematic. Chicago’s offense never really asserted itself in this one, scoring two touchdowns, one in the first and the other in the third quarter. Hester claimed one of those scores, burning three Viking defensive backs on his way to a 65 yard play to the end zone. It was one of the few impressive feats the Bears managed. Defensive end Jared Allen accounted for all of Minnesota’s 3 sacks, beating left tackle John St. Clair on a routine basis with his speed. It wasn’t pretty. (Neither is Jared Allen’s mullet. Have you seen this atrocity? He’s balding, has the bulk of his head buzzed, but with this area at the back of his head that’s grown out. I can’t really look at it.) 

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opportunity to regain first place in the NFC North with only one more divisional contest remaining. Adrian Peterson and the Vikings will be anxious to do the same. Each team sits at 6-5 atop the North and wants to make a lasting impression on the division race. 

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a tight, defensive-type struggle.  The Bucs can stop the run, which doesn't bode well for the Adrian Peterson-led Vikings, while the Vikes can do the same, neutralizing the Bucs' main threats as well.

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of the season:

-First, let's give credit where credit is due...this was one of those games where Adrian Peterson took the team completely on his shoulders.  Much like LaDainian Tomlinson did for the Chargers in recent years, Peterson absolutely dominated this game when it really counted...in the second half.  However, I would caution Vikings fans not to get too over-hyped about their 5-4 and tie-for-first-place team.  Peterson will NOT be able to shoulder that much of a workload every game (whether he wants to or not, the holes will not always be there, especially when defenders start keying on him again), and thus other teammates will have to step up and make big plays (something that is usually severely lacking in MN).  I am confident in saying this because the exact same scenario happened last year.  After A.D. single-handedly beat the Chargers (when he set the single-game rushing record) and Bears (220 some yards and 3 scores), he was by and large shut down for the rest of the season (I remember the game in San Francisco where he was held to something like 9 total yards on 15 or so carries...ouch).  So, as good as it is to be tied for first in the NFC North, the Vikes have an awful lot of proving themselves to do in the remaining regular-season weeks.

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Not only does he lead the league in rushing yards, but the next closest rusher (Adrian Peterson) is almost 300 yards behind! If the season were to end today, he’d be the MVP hands down.

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ichael Bennett, Marcus Robinson, Kelly Campbell, and Nate Burleson.  In 2008, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson and a similar cast of average players that just need the right coach and the

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S): 944 YDS 7 TD 5.0 YPC, 11 CTH 77 YDS
          Adrian Peterson (MIN): 684 YDS 5 TD 4.5 YPC, 12 CTH 65 YDS

WR = Andre Johnson (HOU): 56 CTH 772 YDS 2 TD

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They let the Viking wide receivers beat them time and again as well as allowing Adrian Peterson to rush for 121 yards thanks to a 54 yarder he broke for one of his two touchdowns. Besides his few awful throws, Frerotte was on target, racking up almost 300 yards passing to go with his two scores.

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pired at Soldier Field:

The game actually started out on a very positive note for the Vikings, as Adrian Peterson capped off their first drive of the game with a touchdown lunge at the goal line.  Of course, the Bears (helped by the inability of the Vikings' kickoff team to execute a successful squib kick to keep the ball away from Devin Hester, thus gaining them tremendous field position) also scored on their first possession to knot the score at 7-7.

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With that in mind, the Bears first focus will still be on running back Adrian Peterson. Early last season the Bears gave up the most rushing yards in franchise history to Peterson, getting gashed for 224 yards and three touchdowns in one game. The defense will be looking to take Peterson out of the flow early, but they’ll need help in the form of turnovers which leads to successful offensive possessions. They’ll also need a better effort from defensive tackle Tommie Harris, whose production is at a career low. Stopping Peterson will rely on his penetration in the middle of the Minnesota offensive line. If he has a poor showing, so will the Bears’ defense.

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zone:

From what I have seen, the Vikings (like most teams in the NFL) rely heavily on runs (from Adrian Peterson and sometimes Chester Taylor) and short passes to set up the occasional deep strike.  Essentially, it is a West Coast offense.  When run to perfection, this type of offenses does two things: 1. It softens up the defense line by pounding the ball at them time and time again; and 2. Because of that pounding, the line is not strong enough to put pressure on the QB, who is then free to complete short passes (under ten yards) and look for the occasional man coverage on the outside to take a deep shot.  However, the Vikings lack one key component of that system: the ability to complete short passes.  Leaving Bernard Berrian out of the equation for the moment, the Vikings' other receivers (Bobby Wade, Aundrae Allison, and Robert Ferguson) are just not good enough to consistently get open and make the play required of them.  Allison is too inexperienced and penalty-prone, while Fergie and Wade are too old).  So, what ends up happening is that opposing defenses even leave the short-yardage receivers in loose coverage, instead choosing to stop-up Peterson, a strategy that has been quite successful in rendering the Purple impotent with the ball.  The end result is Peterson getting stuffed, and the receivers dropping enough passes (or just plain not getting open) to set up third and long situations, which a West Coast offense is not equipped to convert, as the defense can finally play a little looser knowing that a pass is almost surely coming.

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know how false that assumption is.  After the Berrian long score, the Vikings punted, fumbled (Adrian Peterson) in Lions territory, and had a Ryan Longwell field goal blocked after an offensive penalty made the kick more difficult than it needed to be.  So, after one more drive ending with Chris Kluwe, the Vikings got the ball with 4:41 remaining in the game, down by a 10-9 score.  The Vikings moved to nearly midfield with ease, but then a screen pass to Peterson (5-yard loss) and a false start penalty set up a 2nd-and-20 down and distance situation.  On the next play, Frerotte uncorked a deep bomb (in the direction of Berrian, if I'm not mistaken), and while the catch wasn't made, pass-interference was called on the Lions' defender, putting the ball at the Lions' 26 yard line.  After reviewing the replay, it was clear that there was minimal (if any) actual interference on the play, so the Vikings essentially caught a game-winning break, as a few plays later Longwell knocked the game-winning kick through the uprights.

Continue reading "Despite Safety, Win Over Lions Is Anything But"

Thank you for taking this guy out of the NFC North! Now all we have to worry about is Adrian Peterson. The Dog Pound also landed Corey Williams who’ll provide immediate dividends with his interior pass rush. More importantly, the Browns now have depth, and lots of it. Unfortunately, they don’t have a single pick in the first three rounds of the draft, but who needs them? Phil Savage wants to win now.

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