LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Out for the game – and now much longer – with a serious knee injury,
Adrian Peterson
was on his way back from the X-ray room in the depths of the stadium when he looked at a television monitor.

“I see Toby break up the sideline,” Peterson said. “So, `Go, Toby, go.”‘

What else could happen to the
Minnesota Vikings
in one of the worst seasons in franchise history? How about losing Peterson to a direct hit on the left knee and
Christian Ponder
to a possible concussion on back-to-back plays to start the second half? It just didn’t seem fair.

And the news only got worse as Saturday went on. The Vikings said an MRI showed that Peterson tore the anterior cruciate ligament
in his left knee, and coach Leslie Frazier will provide a further update at his news conference Monday.

But here’s a twist: They won the game.
Toby Gerhart
and
Joe Webb
answered the call, leading Saturday’s 33-26 victory over the
Washington Redskins
that snapped a six-game losing streak and helped make up for the fact that their best player was standing on crutches in the
locker room.

“I can enjoy my Christmas now,” Frazier said.

Gerhart scampered for a 67-yard run – the play Peterson saw on TV – to start Minnesota’s next series after the Peterson-Ponder
injuries and finished with 109 yards on 11 carries. Webb again made a case to be a starting quarterback by throwing for two
touchdowns and running for another as the Vikings (3-12) kept alive their hopes to not finish with the worst record in team
history. A win next week against Chicago would put them ahead of the dubious 1984 Minnesota team that went 3-13.

Asked if it’s time to give the option-running Webb a look at the No. 1 job, Frazier didn’t hesitate.

“Some of the things he does, and what it does to the rest of our team, you can’t ignore,” Frazier said. “So it’s something
we’re going to have a real hard look at as we go forward. He definitely lifts our team.”

He might get the start next week, at least, because of Ponder’s injury, but Webb surely was an inspiring presence Saturday,
completing 4 of 5 passes for 84 yards and rushing five times for 34 yards. His 9-yard touchdown run came on the option, and
he put a perfect 17-yard scoring pass into the arms of rookie tight end
Kyle Rudolph
, a touchdown appropriate for Christmas Eve, to give the Vikings a 23-20 lead late in the third quarter.

“When they bring in a weapon like that,” Redskins linebacker
Perry Riley
said of Webb, “not a secret weapon – we’d seen him on tape and we had a feeling – but it’s hard to prepare fully on a short
week for two quarterbacks. … It’s hard to change it mid-stream like that.”

Webb’s 8-yard pass to
Percy Harvin
broke a 23-all tie early in the fourth quarter, and rookie
Mistral Raymond
‘s first career interception set up
Ryan Longwell
‘s 23-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 10-point lead with 4:05 to play. Minnesota had gone nine games without a pick
before Raymond’s big play.

The Redskins pulled within a touchdown on
Graham Gano
‘s 47-yard field goal with 1:25 remaining. They got the ball back after a punt, but
Rex Grossman
‘s final long fling to the end zone fell incomplete to give Washington (5-10) a sixth straight home loss, its longest such
skid since 1994.

Peterson said he knew “it was something bad” the moment he was hit by safety
DeJon Gomes
at the end of a 3-yard gain on the first offensive play of the second half. The X-rays were negative, but Peterson had an
MRI late Saturday after the team returned to Minnesota.

“It’s such a special person that you want to be right before you prognosticate on what might be,” Frazier said before the
exam.

The torn ACL, the worst-case scenario, will likely sideline Peterson for some nine months and make it difficult for him to
return for the start of next season.

“Anytime you take a blow to the knee like that, you’re concerned about the ACL, MCL,” Peterson said before the diagnosis.
“I’m trying to stay as positive as I can.”

On the play after Peterson was hurt, Ponder suffered a head injury when sacked by
Adam Carriker
and
London Fletcher
. Ponder remained in the game for one more play – a third-down incomplete pass – before heading to the locker room.

Frazier said Ponder had “concussion-like symptoms.” The coach said he’s uncertain whether the quarterback will play in next
week’s season finale against the Bears.

“We’ll have to weigh it when we get back,” Frazier said, “and I’ll follow the doctor’s lead.”

With the way Webb is playing, Ponder might get the week off anyway.

Notes: Grossman had two more giveaways – a lost fumble and interception – to put his total at 24 for the season. He was already
tied for the most turnovers in the NFL entering the game. … Washington’s
Evan Royster
, getting the start with fellow rookie
Roy Helu
out with an injury, ran for 132 yards on 19 carries. … Minnesota’s
Jared Allen
had one sack to raise his total to 18 1/2. … The Vikings were also short-handed along the offensive line, with guard
Steve Hutchinson
inactive with a concussion and guard
Anthony Herrera
sidelined for part of the game with a lower back injury.

—

© 2011 STATS LLC

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin(notes) returned
to practice on Friday and is listed as probable for the game against the Detroit
Lions on Sunday.

Harvin missed practice on Thursday because of an illness. But Harvin and the
Vikings said it was not related to migraine headaches that have caused him to
miss time in the past.

“Man, it was a stomach ache,” Harvin said after practice on Friday,
quickly brushing aside any concerns about a migraine resurfacing. “I’m fine,
fine, fine.”

Harvin has played in just over 50 percent of the snaps through the first two
weeks, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said they’d like to get him more
action against the Lions (2-0) on Sunday. Coach Leslie Frazier said Harvin
looked ready in his return to practice on Friday and doesn’t expect there to be
any limitations during the game.

“I thought he looked pretty good,” Frazier said. “He went through
everything in practice, moved around pretty good and should be fine for
Sunday.”

Cornerback Chris Cook(notes) is listed as questionable with a groin injury. He
practiced all week long and Frazier said they will need the 6-foot-2 Cook to
play against Lions receiver Calvin Johnson(notes).

“When we looked at our division, that was one of the things that we looked
at, trying to match up at times,” Frazier said of drafting Cook in the second
round last year. “Having two big corners with Cedric (Griffin) and Chris, we
thought that would help us. This is one of those games where we want it to pay
off.”

Linebacker E.J. Henderson(notes) (knee) was the only other player limited in
practice on Friday, but Frazier expects him to be on the field against the
Lions, who are favored in a visit to Minnesota (0-2) for the first time since
1981.

The Vikings also are getting defensive tackle Kevin Williams(notes) back from a
two-game suspension. Williams is also dealing with a painful case of plantar
fasciitis in his left foot that he said he expects to be an issue all season
long. But Frazier said Williams looked good in practice this week and the coach
is more concerned with his conditioning than the pain in his foot.

“That’s something we’ll have to help him with from a rep standpoint and
monitoring his reps,” Frazier said. “As far as moving around, he’s moving
around pretty good. The conditioning will probably be a thing that we will have
to look out for.”

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