Last Saturday, against the Washington Redskins, fans watched in horror as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s knee broke the laws of anatomy. Unfortunately for Peterson and the Vikings, the consequences might be costlier than just missing the last game of the 2011 season.

After undergoing an MRI, it was revealed that Peterson had torn both the ACL and MCL in his left knee, among other damage.

Peterson underwent surgery on Friday to repair the torn ligaments and the procedure was a success.

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

Typically, this type of injury would take anywhere from eight to nine months to heal before the knee could begin to undergo any sort of physical exertion. The Vikings, however, have already made it clear that they expect Peterson back and ready to go to kick off the 2012 regular season in September.

Despite all of the optimism radiating from the Vikings’ front office and staff, I still have my doubts that Peterson is going to return as the same running back that carved up NFL defenses for the past five seasons.

Don’t get me wrong; I’d love nothing more than to have Peterson suited up and ready to wreak havoc at the beginning of the 2012 NFL season. He’s the centerpiece of the Vikings’ offense and the prime building block for the future of this franchise. But to be so optimistic about an injury that could hinder Peterson for the rest of his life seems a bit naïve.

To illustrate my point, I call your attention to the Daunte Culpepper fallout of 2005.

Arguably the last quality quarterback the Vikings could call their own, Culpepper was on the verge of carving his own niche in the NFL. He was coming off of a 2004 season that saw him throw for 4,717 yards while setting the since-broken NFL record for total yards in a single-season by a quarterback with 5,123. The Vikings’ former first-round pick was a three-time Pro Bowler in his first six years in the NFL. For Culpepper, everything was falling into place until one fateful day in 2005 against the Carolina Panthers.

During a Vikings’ mid-season matchup with the Panthers, Culpepper had his knee taken out, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in the process. I won’t bore you with any numbers, but it’s safe to say that Culpepper was never the same player after rehabbing from the devastating injury. He spent a few more years jumping from team to team in the NFL before finally settling for the UFL, where he still struggles to dominate against much weaker opposition. Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, Culpepper made himself available to quarterback-needy NFL teams, and not a single team bit.

Although many will argue that Peterson will be fine considering that he didn’t pull off the tear trifecta a la Culpepper and he’s a different breed of athlete, a knee is a knee. Regardless of the person or their will to persevere, a knee simply isn’t supposed to bend that way and damage like that is usually a life-long limitation.

A big reason as to why Peterson is so great is his ability to cut on a dime and burst through the hole with overwhelming strength. That relentless power and explosiveness that he runs with makes him so dangerous. However, with a knee injury of this magnitude, that explosiveness and burst are gone. No stable knee equals no bowling over defenders with ease. Without strong, healthy knee ligaments, Peterson can’t cut properly and the Vikings’ homerun threat is degraded to a one-dimensional back who is better off watching from the sidelines.

The biggest factor at this point will be how Peterson’s knee responds to the rehabilitation and whether or not the Vikings wait until he’s as ready as can be. The worst thing Peterson could do is play prematurely and cause even more damage to the knee. Especially at a wear-and-tear heavy position like running back, Peterson’s at horrible risk of causing irreparable damage if he plays before the knee is 100 percent healthy.

The Vikings will play Peterson when they feel he is ready, and he’s a smart enough player to not insert himself into the lineup before his knee is properly prepared to take a beating. The main concern, though, is whether or not we’ll ever see the lethal version of No. 28 again.

If there’s any player who can bounce back from an injury of this magnitude and still play at the same level, it’s Peterson. He’s as elite of an athlete as they come, and he’ll be working non-stop offseason to get himself primed for football. Add in the training prowess of Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman and you’ve got a recipe for success. I reiterate, though: there’s a reason knees don’t bend sideways.

I’m not rooting for him to fail; I’m just trying to prepare you for the reality that All Day may never again play like the All Day so many Vikings fans have come to know and love.

Could this be the beginning of the Toby Gerhart era in Minnesota? Only time will tell.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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The Minnesota Vikings can’t catch a break. You’d think a team
that played its first season way back in 1961 would receive one by
now.

The Vikings haven’t had much to get excited about this
season.

There was the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals (34-10).

There was the 24-21 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 and
the 33-26 win over the Washington Redskins on Christmas Eve.

And that’s it.

The other 13 weeks on the schedule are marked with the letter
“L.”

The 3-12 Vikings are suffering through their worst season in
decades.

You have to go back to 1984 to find a Vikings team that only won
three games. That team was 3-13.

You have to go back to 1962 to find a Vikings team that won two
games. That team finished 2-11-1.

The initial Vikings of 1961 were 3-11 and have a better winning
percentage than this year’s bunch.

So the Vikings pick up their third win of the season and in the
process lose their franchise running back Adrian Peterson to a
devastating knee injury.

Go figure.

Safe to say, the Vikings would give back that win for a healthy
Peterson in a heartbeat.

Who knows if Peterson will be able to return for the 2012
season?

Who knows if he’ll ever be the same when he does return?

Some are questioning why Peterson was playing in a basically
meaningless game this late in the season. After all, he’d been
hampered with an ankle injury.

So no one could have blamed him or the Vikings if they’d just
shut him down until the 2012 season.

But that’s not how Adrian Peterson is wired.

He’s a competitor, and guys like that want to play.

Guys like that want the ball every down, no matter if the team
is 12-2 or 2-12.

So if Peterson was healthy enough to play, he was going to
play.

No one, however, expected him to rip up his knee in the
process.

But Viking fans have grown accustomed to disappointment.

It’s been happening for decades and there’s not enough column
space to go into much detail.

Viking fans can recite the history from memory.

There’s the four Super Bowl losses.

There was the Cowboys’ Drew Pearson push-off.

There was the Herschel Walker debacle with the Cowboys, as
well.

There was the 1998 NFC championship game heartbreaking loss to
the Atlanta Falcons.

There was the 2003 last-second loss to the Arizona Cardinals on
a fourth and 25 that knocked the Purple out of the playoffs.

There was the crushing 2009 NFC title game loss to the New
Orleans Saints.

And now the knee injury to quite possibly the most exciting
player in franchise history.

But don’t feel sorry for Vikings fans — they don’t need your
sympathy.

True Vikings would never think of jumping ship.

I mean, what’s the alternative — cheer for another team?

That’d be the easy way out and wouldn’t be any fun.

 

Did you know?

That Peterson is 66 yards shy of becoming the Vikings’ all-time
leading rusher. Peterson has 6,752 career yards.

Robert Smith is the all-time leader with 6,818 yards.

Reach Kirk Hardcastle at 421-0540 or
kirk.hardcastle@globegazette.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day before the Oakland Raiders battle it out with the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Stadium in Minneapolis and already I’m to get nervous. But that’s what happens before every game that involved the Silver and Black, and this season every game has been an important one to win.

After the Raiders outstanding performance against the Chargers in San Diego, a victory for a second consecutive week will show they’ve made a big dent in overcoming some of their issues this year, including problems on defense. And stopping the Vikings’ great running back Adrian Peterson, will be key.

Michael Bush(notes) has done an exceptional job filling in for the injured Darren McFadden(notes), running for 157 yards in the game at San Diego, but it would be difficult to compare him against the Minnesota running back, and they may have the edge on this one, even if it’s just slight one.

The Vikings were stomped on by Green Bay Monday night, losing 45-7, in one of their worst losses of the decade. Peterson was held to just 51 yards in that game, and their rookie quarterback, Christian Ponder(notes) completed less than half of his passes and threw an interception. Minnesota’s record fell to a dismal 2-7, and their two wins came against the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, both with losing records.

Comparing the Raiders new quarterback, Carson Palmer(notes), to Ponder, Palmer has the clear edge, really getting his rhythm with the team in the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Oakland’s head coach, Hue Jackson, said one of the reasons he brought Palmer in, despite some who criticized his decision, was his leadership skills. Palmer is already proving to be a leader in his short time with the team, and Jackson said, as with everyone else on the Silver and Black, he has a high expectation of winning every time.

The biggest task might fall to Raiders left tackle Jared Veldheer(notes) who will try to slow down one of the best defensive end’s in football, Jared Allen(notes). Jackson remarked, “He’s as good as there is in football,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said. “The guy has 13 1/2 sacks, and it’s not by accident. He doesn’t make any magical things happen, he just goes and plays extremely hard. What we have to do is get him blocked.”

That’s a lot of pressure on Veldheer, but he feels he’s up for the task and wants to do much of the job alone. Jackson said he’ll get him some extra help if he feels he needs it. This game may be closer than we might expect, but the Raiders are favored, and this time I don’t think they’ll disappoint. With the AFC West in a tight race this season, especially after the win by the Denver Broncos on Thursday, each and every game is a must win.

Just win baby!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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Green Bay Packers’ Randall Cobb (18) leaps into the crowd after an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis.

Green Bay Packers’ Randall Cobb (18) leaps into the crowd after an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis.

Because what makes him explosive is also causing him to make potential game-turning mistakes, Green Bay Packers rookie returner Randall Cobb plans on taking a page out of John Wooden’s playbook.
Be quick, but don’t hurry.
For the second time in three games, Cobb muffed a punt against the Minnesota Vikings, a miscue that led to the Vikings’ lone points Monday night in a 45-7 Packers victory. Cobb made the same mistake Oct. 23 against the Vikings in Minneapolis, and that fumble also led to a Minnesota touchdown. Cobb also lost a fumble on a kickoff at Carolina on Sept. 18, helping the Panthers to a 13-0 first-half lead.
So while Cobb had two explosive plays on Monday night – his 80-yard punt return for a touchdown to give the Packers’ their first points of the game, and a 55-yard kickoff return immediately after the touchdown he’d gift-wrapped for the Vikings – Cobb plans on slowing himself down just a tiny bit Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It comes down to just the focus on my part,” said Cobb, who burst onto the scene with a franchise-record 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Packers’ season-opening win over New Orleans on Sept. 8. It’s not my technique. I catch the ball fine; I get off the spot fine. It’s looking to the return before I actually catch the ball. It’s something that I have to focus more on — and if that slows me down as far as getting off the spot, then that’s something I just have to take.”
The Packers, who hadn’t returned a kickoff for a touchdown since 2000 and hadn’t returned a punt for a TD since 2008 before Cobb’s returns, are thrilled with the new dimension Cobb has brought them. Improving in the return game had been among coach Mike McCarthy’s goals in the wake of the team’s Super Bowl championship in February, and Cobb has delivered.
But on a team that emphasizes ball security — the Packers entered Week 11 tied for second in the NFL with a plus-11 turnover differential — fumbles cannot be tolerated, special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum said.
“He is a dynamic player, a very talented young man. (But) the two muffed punts and turnover on the kickoff return, we’re going to remove that from his game,” Slocum said. “He has to get that done. (On Monday night), he made a big play and he was anxious to do it again. He lost sight of one of the core fundamentals – making sure that ball is caught before you take off. One of the things he does very well is catch the ball and move immediately off the spot. He didn’t do that well on that particular play.
“The guy is determined to be good. He’s diligent in his work habits. He’s accountable. I expect him to improve.”
That much was evident from the way Cobb ran on the kickoff following his gaffe, but he acknowledged it didn’t make up for his fumble.
“I beat up on myself and I’m my biggest critic. It’s not like I’m out there trying to make mistakes. But when I do, I want to come back stronger and better,” said Cobb, who ranked second in the NFL in kickoff return average (30.0) and 11th in punt return average (11.1) entering this week’s games. “It’s like a quarterback having a bad pass, a receiver having a couple drops, a lineman not setting as far back in pass protection as they usually do — it’s not something that happens every single time, it’s just something that I have to eliminate as many as I’ve had.”
What makes Cobb dangerous as a punt returner is how quickly he transitions from catching the ball to exploding upfield. According to Cobb, because other returners pause longer after catching the ball, he is able to use that split-second advantage to find open running lanes before they close.
“The advantage of catching the ball and getting off the spot and moving is, I mess up every single person that’s trying to cover — their angles,” Cobb said. “That’s one thing I’m pretty good at. Because when they’re covering, they’re covering where the ball’s coming (down) and where they see me set up and catch the ball. So the faster I can move off that angle, the easier it is to create windows.
“Taking that extra .2 seconds to secure the catch, it’s not going to change that much. It’s just a matter of me practicing focusing a little bit more to make the catch and secure the catch first.”

I seriously think the football gods set up this weekend to torture Minnesotans. As if a Gophers-Badgers game isn’t bad enough, the Minnesota Vikings have yet another face off against the Green Bay Packers. And this time, the Vikes won’t have the home field advantage.

The Packers are currently at 8-0, and many enthusiastic fans are predicting a 16-0 season and another Super Bowl victory. This week, the Vikings’ big job is to wipe that smug smile off the Packer Backers’ faces.

There are a few signs of hope for Sunday’s game. First, there’s Christian Ponder(notes). I really wish Leslie Frazier would have gotten Ponder in the game several weeks ago, because the Vikings might have had more than two wins by now. My Packer-loving friends like to point to the fact that Christian Ponder is nowhere near Aaron Rodgers(notes) in playing ability. Still, watching a Vikings game led by Ponder is far less embarrassing than watching one with Donovan McNabb(notes) as starting quarterback.

Another promising development: better use of running back Adrian Peterson. Everybody knows Peterson can rush, but he also makes a great receiver. Peterson’s abilities were not fully utilized during the first few weeks of the football season. He complained about this in a recent interview: ” Sometimes I don’t get the ball and I’m like grrr I was wide open.” But when the Minnesota Vikings played the Carolina Panthers, Peterson had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Green Bay Packers when they hosted at the Metrodome three weeks ago, but they did not lose by much. In fact, for a brief period, they were actually leading the Packers. If they can pull it together this week, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t hand the Pack their first loss of the season. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe says it best: “[The Green Bay Packers] need a loss, don’t they? They need one. We’re going to see what we can do about that.”

Born and raised in Minnesota, S. Gustafson has remained faithful to the Vikings through their many ups and downs.

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