Posts tagged: adrian peterson

Peterson Tries To Put Minds At Ease

January 13, 2012, by No comments yet

Through the last five years of NFL football, there have been four words that became every Vikings fans worst nightmare.

“And down goes Peterson.”

Adrian Peterson is not only a first round pick, not only a hundred million dollar running back, he is the heart and soul of the team.  That is why it hurt all of us to see him writhing in pain during a week 16 matchup against the Redskins.

Peterson tore his ACL and his MCL in the third quarter of that game and two weeks ago he underwent reconstructive surgery.  Friday, he crossed a stage without crutches (but with a brace) and used the media to let all of us fans know he will not be a lost cause from this point forward.

“I feel like I’m going to come back better than before,” Peterson said. “I know people might laugh at that or think otherwise, but you know what? It doesn’t matter what they think or how they feel about it. The only thing that matters is how I feel about it and what I believe.”

I’m not going to laugh at Peterson, that much is for sure, but I do think that his goals of being even better and also returning by week one of 2012 might be a bit lofty.  Still, I’ve yet to hear of a person willing to bet against him.

The Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman praised Peterson for already being ahead of schedule with his rehabilitation.  Sugarman said Peterson is already riding a stationary bike, extending the injured knee, and there are plans to have him jog in a pool next week.

Sugarman and Peterson both acknowledged they will have to fight the temptation to let Peterson’s elite physical abilities trick them into thinking he is ready for more than he really is.

“I know around the two-month mark, the three-month mark, it’s going to be feeling good and that’s when it’s at its weakest, the ACL,” Peterson said. “I’m just going to have to be smart and listen to these guys and just take it slow during that time.”

Peterson’s Knee Surgery “Successful”

January 1, 2012, by No comments yet

Vikings head coach released the following statement in regards to Adrian Peterson’s knee surgery on Friday:

“We’ve received word that Adrian underwent successful knee surgery with Dr. James Andrews and is now resting comfortably. Adrian is in our thoughts, we wish him a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him when he returns to Minnesota.”

I think it is safe to say we are all looking forward to the return of Peterson, with hopes that he will look every bit as good as has through the duration of his rookie contract.

Final (Miscellaneous) Notes Of 2011

December 30, 2011, by No comments yet

Today, Adrian Peterson underwent surgery to repair the ACL and MCL ligaments in his left knee. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews, a well-known orthopedic surgeon who has helped mend many knees, shoulders and elbows of big name athletes. According to Coach Leslie Frazier, the operation was “successful” and Peterson is somewhere “resting comfortably.”

Chad Greenway will be a Pro Bowl alternate at linebacker this year. The only other Viking that will represent our team in this year’s Pro Bowl is Jared Allen, who currently leads the league in sacks with 18.5. Although alternates only play if one of the Pro Bowl starters can’t play, it’s good to see Greenway get some recognition after racking up 165 tackles, 11 being for a loss, this season.

At the beginning of the season, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe made a deal with temporary, fill-in quarterback Donovan McNabb that allowed McNabb to wear Kluwe’s number 5 jersey. The deal, among other things, required McNabb make a $5,000 donation to Kick for a Cure, Kluwe’s preferred charity. Well, about a week ago, everyone’s favorite Vikings blogger, Adam Warwas exclaimed, “McNabb needs to pay up!” as he had not yet made the donation. Today, Kluwe put the story to rest by tweeting, “ATTENTION MEDIA VULTURES – I talked to Donovan and he’s more than happy to write the check to Kick For a Cure, since he’s a standup guy…Like I said originally, this was on me because I hadn’t had a chance to ask him since midseason. You may now return to pecking at the dead horse carcass of Tim Tebow.” Kluwe has such a way with words…

In an odd coincidence (or is it…?!), Mike Tice returns to Minnesota 6 years after he was fired as head coach of the Vikings. Tice, who is now the offensive line coach for the Bears, was fired immediately after a win in the final game of the 2005 season… over the Bears… who the Vikings play this Sunday… who Tice is a coach for now… Strange how things work out. If I were Frazier, I’d be a little worried and would probably hide somewhere for an hour or two after the game (Tice was fired thirty minutes after his final game).

This Sunday, Jim Kleinsasser will play his 181st and last game as a Viking. Coach Frazier made it no secret that, if the opportunity presents itself, the team plans on trying to thank him with one final touchdown. Frazier said, “I’m not letting out any secrets there. If we get down to the 1 [yard line], Chicago, you better stop number 40. We’re going to find a way to try to get him into the end zone if we can.”

“On His Own Merit”

December 27, 2011, by No comments yet

Saturday was a tough day for Vikings fans everywhere. Despite getting a win over the Washington Redskins, about the worst possible thing that could have happened to this team happened. As you all know, Adrian Peterson, our star running back, the pride of Minnesota, was injured on the first play of the second half. (Eric Sugarman, the Vikings Head Athletic Trainer officially announced today that Peterson tore both his ACL and MCL).

Instantly, I was furious. It’s hard for me to describe exactly how angry I was. As Peterson lay on the ground, kicking and screaming, I knew that singular hit could have derailed AP’s hall of fame talent – could have derailed any championship hopes we had in the immediate future. It’s strange, caring so much about someone you’ve never met in your life. But watching AP pour his heart and soul onto the field week after week kind of makes you feel like you know the guy somehow. You want nothing but the best for him. While he’s on the ground writhing, screaming in pain, your soul hurts with him. So, what’s the first thought you have after such a heartbreaking injury?

Someone’s got to pay.

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MONDAY MYTHS: Frazier At Fault

December 25, 2011, by No comments yet

[NOTE: I know, I know, it isn't Monday.  But it is the day after a game and I didn't want to wait to post this.]

I design power lines for a living.

If a major storm was taking place and lines were on the ground and poles were falling over, it would be my job to do what I can to get as many lights back on as soon as possible.  That’s my job, no matter how bad things get.  That’s my job… unless my boss told me otherwise.

If you managed a pizza joint that was getting a reputation for having the worst pizza in town, you wouldn’t rectify the situation by using even worse ingredients and skimping on the portions.  Unless your boss tells you otherwise, it is your job to provide customers with the best pizza and the best service that you can.

I’ll be honest.  I consider a bad season a bad season, with no real difference between “kind of bad” and “really bad” and “really, really bad.”

This season has been bad, a term that you can weight as you want, and I can honestly say I was not happy to hear Adrian Peterson was going to be returning to the field after his high ankle sprain.  After all, he is the centerpiece of our offense and recently signed a $100 million contract, and the risk of a major injury clearly outweighed any potential reward for seeing him play out the lost 2011 season.

Yesterday Peterson reportedly tore is ACL and MCL and I am angry about it.  I am sad about it.  I am damned mad about it.

However, I don’t see how this is Leslie Frazier’s fault.

Frazier was hired to do one thing: coach a team that wins football games.

Unless his boss told him otherwise, Frazier’s duty as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings was and is to win as many games as possible.  That duty would normally entail putting his best team on the field every week and coaching them up to the best of his abilities.

I can’t blame anyone who was cheering for a Vikings victory on Saturday, and I can’t blame those that are mad about the fact that Peterson suffered such a serious injury in a meaningless game.

With all of that being said, I also cannot blame Frazier for doing his job to the best of his abilities and putting his star running back on the field.

For those of you that want to direct blame, I would suggest taking it up not with Frazier, but instead with his boss for not changing the job description of the head coaching position mid-season.

Rushing Adrian All Day May Have Been A Mistake

September 13, 2011, by No comments yet
Peterson at Chargers

All offseason long, as pointed out by Kevin Seifert, first year head coach Leslie Frazier made it clear that he planned on making Adrian Peterson the team’s workhorse as his formula for success. As evidenced by the reported $100 million deal Peterson signed just prior to week one, the Vikings feel he can take over and dominate any game.

On Sunday, however, it became clear that this offense needs more than one platinum running back to win football games… even the games they appear to have in the bag.

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