Adrian Peterson Questionable vs. Detroit Lions
Austin Belisle
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After making the Saturday night trip to Detroit, Adrian Peterson was downgraded for Sunday’s Week 7 game against the Lions with an undisclosed illness, per the team’s official website and 1500 ESPN’s Andrew Krammer. The running back, who has 432 yards on 101 carries this season, was listed as probable on the team’s final injury report with a finger injury suffered during the Vikings’ Week 6 win over the Chiefs.
This sudden news marks Peterson’s first reported illness since 2012, when he missed the team’s final two practices before a Week 10 matchup with the Detroit Lions. He returned that Sunday, rushing for 171 yards on 27 carries to lead the Vikings to a 34-24 victory. In the fourth quarter alone, Peterson racked up 120 yards and added to what would become just the seventh 2,000-yard season in NFL history.
According to Ben Goessling of ESPN, those close to Peterson expect him to play; as one source told Goessling, “Adrian is Adrian,” meaning the star running back will likely join his teammates at Ford Field on Sunday. In his last game against the Lions, which came in Week 2, Peterson rushed 29 times for 134 yards, but failed to reach the end zone.
If Peterson, for some reason, can’t play Sunday, the Vikings will rely on Matt Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon to carry the load. The duo helped the Vikings finish 14th in the league rushing last season, averaging 113.6 yards per game and 4.37 yards per carry without Peterson in the lineup. This year, the Vikings are the league’s 6th-best rushing team, thanks in large part to Peterson’s return to the field.
McKinnon and Asiata are playing much less of a role in the success of the offense in 2015. Combined, they’ve rushed 25 times for 104 yards and caught 7 passes for 48 yards, mainly coming in on third downs and in passing situations. The Lions, who rank 26th in the league against the run, will have their hands full with whomever the Vikings start tomorrow.