The 2011 NFL regular season is over and a 3-13 record has landed the Minnesota Vikings as far away from a trip to the playoffs as they could have imagined.

So now that the 2011 campaign has come to an end, the Vikings have their sights set on preparing for the 2012 season. Although free agency doesn’t start until the first week of March and they still have over four months before the 2012 NFL Draft, the Vikings made some of the only moves they could make to secure players for the future.

On Monday, the Vikings signed all seven of their practice squad players to reserve/future contracts. Once the regular season ended after their loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Vikings had one week to sign members of their practice squad before they became free agents. With these signings, the Vikings have secured their seven young talents at least until the 2012 preseason.

Among those signings were wide receivers Kris Adams and Kerry Taylor, guards Chris DeGeare and Butch Lewis, cornerback Reggie Jones, linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and tight end Allen Reisner. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The only one of these seven players to see the field this season for the Vikings was Reisner. Although he enjoyed two stints on the Vikings’ practice squad in 2011, Reisner also appeared in six games and caught one pass for five yards.

DeGeare is the only other player besides Reisner that was signed today who has seen game day action in the NFL. Drafted by Vikings in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest, DeGeare played in eight games (five starts) throughout the 2010 season.

McKenzie was a third-round selection by the New England Patriots in 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones spent his rookie 2010 season with both the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins. The rest of the Vikings signees were all rookies this past season.

These seven players will all be around when the Vikings open up team workouts in a few months with the opportunity to earn a roster spot for the 2012 season.

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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CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 1, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS — First, Jay Cutler. Then, Matt Forte. Finally, Brian Urlacher.

The Chicago Bears stopped their five-game losing streak at the end of this what-could-have-been season, but even this victory was plenty painful.

Charles Tillman’s interception return in the second quarter gave the Bears the lead for good in a 17-13 victory over the Vikings on Sunday despite 3½ of Minnesota’s seven sacks by Jared Allen and a late injury to Urlacher, the soul of Chicago’s defense.

“It just breaks my heart to see. He is the Chicago Bears,” quarterback Josh McCown said. “That’s the name you think about, so to see that guy down on the turf is a sick feeling.”

Allen finished the season with 22 sacks, behind Michael Strahan’s mark of 22½ for the New York Giants in 2001. Joe Webb relieved Christian Ponder at quarterback for the Vikings (3-13) for the third time in the past month, but the wild-scrambling Webb wasn’t able to keep the Vikings from matching their worst record in franchise history, set first in 1984.

“I was really hoping for one more one-on-one, one more third-and-9,” Allen said.

The Vikings claimed the third pick in next year’s draft after going 0-6 in the NFC North, the first time in their 51 years they’ve failed to win a division game.

Coach Lovie Smith said Urlacher sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, which bent awkwardly in the end zone while he helped break up a pass with 5:15 left. He’ll have ample time to recover this winter with the Bears (8-8) missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, but that wasn’t a good way to finish for a guy who’ll turn 34 before next season. Urlacher was able to walk off the field without assistance, but he was in enough pain initially that he briefly covered his face with his hand.

The past month has been hard to watch for all of the Bears and their fans, following Cutler’s broken right thumb. They were 7-3 with the postseason well within reach until Cutler was sidelined. Forte, their Pro Bowl running back, sprained his right knee two weeks later, and the Bears stumbled into this meaningless matchup at Minnesota with last season’s trip to the NFC Championship Game a distant memory.

“It’s not a whole lot of fun finishing your season knowing that, but we’re a good football team and we’re going to try and keep as many of our coaches and players together as possible,” Smith said. “We don’t want to tear this team down and start over or anything like that. This is a good football team, and we’re going to win a lot of games with this core remaining the same.”

Smith acknowledged he’s concerned about Urlacher but also noted his recuperative history.

“He heals a little bit quicker than most people, so he should be OK,” Smith said.

Despite Allen being in his face all day, blowing by left tackle J’Marcus Webb often until the tight ends started to help, McCown finished 15 for 25 for 160 yards and a second-quarter touchdown pass to Roy Williams with one interception. Though the season was already lost, McCown fared far better than Cutler’s first fill-in, Caleb Hanie, after being signed off the street to take his first NFL snaps in two years.

“What a great group, and it’s just an honor to play for the coaches and the guys that are on the field today,” McCown said.

The Bears have won five straight in this series, their longest streak against the Vikings since winning six in a row from 1983-86.

“The last time I looked at our record we were 7-3, and from that moment on everything came tumbling down like a small snowball into a huge snowman,” said receiver-returner Devin Hester, who had another quiet game.

Though the circumstances were so much different on this day, the Vikings came full circle with another loss to McCown. He filled in for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2003 season finale and knocked Minnesota out of a playoff spot with a stunning heave into the end zone on the final snap.

The Vikings got the ball back with no timeouts at their own 6-yard line and 1:51 left, but D.J. Moore’s interception — the second of the game by Webb — at the Chicago 29 was the clincher.

Ponder went 4 for 10 for 28 yards before aggravating a hip pointer he suffered a month ago. Webb, who rallied the Vikings to victory last week at Washington and brought them within 1 yard of a win at Detroit on Dec. 11, went 17 for 32 for 200 yards. He netted only 2 yards on four rushes.

“They did a real good job of being gap smart and not letting him escape,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said.

The Vikings had their share of gaffes familiar to this at-times-woeful season. Most notable was Ponder’s 13th interception, a poorly thrown pass behind Toby Gerhart that bounced off the running back’s hands and into the arms of Tillman for an untouched 22-yard return. That was the third pick-six in the past five games against Ponder, the first-round draft pick who took over as the starter for the seventh game of the season.

Webb took a 10-yard loss on one of his scrambles instead of throwing the ball away on third-and-4 at the 20, moving Ryan Longwell’s field goal attempt back to 48 yards. Julius Peppers blocked it, preserving a 14-10 lead. Longwell made a pair of 26-yarders in the first half, but a high snap and a dropped hold led to another botched field goal in the second half.

Notes

• Gerhart carried 15 times for 67 yards for the Vikings before leaving with an injury to his left knee.
• Kahil Bell rushed for 54 yards on 17 carries for the Bears.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

The nightmare is finally over.

The Minnesota Vikings have finally found the end to their disappointing 2011 season, losing 13 games and a large chunk of their dignity in the process. At least they can hang their hats on knowing that they didn’t go out without a fight.

The Vikings played their season finale on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Playing for nothing more than pride and draft positioning, the Vikings came out and left everything they had to spare from this dismal season out of the field. Through all four quarters, they battled on, never taking their eyes off of the task at hand.

“I expressed my appreciation for the fight they’ve shown throughout the year, as difficult as it has been,” Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said. “To show the resolve they have to keep coming back and fighting – you just don’t always see that when you approach the month of December in the fashion that we [did].”

Unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the Bears and their stout defense, who ended the season at 8-8 after a close 17-13 victory over the Vikings.

The headline story for the Vikings, however, wasn’t the fact that they lost or that they ended the season at 3-13. Instead, it was Vikings defensive end Jared Allen who stole the show from the Bears.

Allen, who came into the game with a league-leading 18.5 sacks, was on a mission to hunt down Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season record of 22.5 sacks. Although it seemed nearly impossible at first, Allen was soon nipping at history’s heels.

Through three quarters of play, Allen had notched 3.5 sacks on Bears quarterback Josh McCown and had Strahan’s record within reach. Unfortunately, the game situation and the Vikings’ lack of offensive success didn’t allow Allen many more opportunities. When the game was over, Allen had 22 sacks on the season. He may have fallen short of the NFL record, but the Vikings’ team record for most sacks in a season was his.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to have the Vikings single-season record,” Allen said after the game. “To be in the same breath as [Chris] Doleman, Alan Page and those guys – this organization has a history of just dominant defensive linemen, so to be at the top of that is a true honor.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Chris Doleman previously held the record at 21 sacks, but is glad to have Allen take his place at the top of the Vikings sack list.

“You can’t not be happy for a guy like that,” Doleman said on Allen breaking his record.

Regardless of Allen’s run at history, the Vikings still fell short on the scoreboard.

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder struggled while he was in, throwing for 28 yards and one interception while completing four of his ten passes. After Ponder was knocked out of the game with a right hip pointer, Joe Webb was inserted into the lineup. Despite throwing two interceptions, Webb completed 17 of his 32 passes for 200 yards and continued to give the Vikings reason to believe that he might be a better option than Ponder.

Running back Toby Gerhart, filling in for the injured Adrian Peterson, carried the ball 15 times for 67 yards before falling to a sprained MCL.

The Vikings’ offensive stud of the game was wide receiver Percy Harvin, who caught 10 passes for 115 yards and ran the ball five times for 13 yards. His five-yard touchdown scamper was the only trip to the end zone on the day for the Vikings.

Apart from Allen’s 3.5 sacks, four other Vikings managed to notch a sack against the Bears. Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive linemen Kevin Williams and Brian Robison each had one, and linebacker Erin Henderson added half a sack. Cornerback Cedric Griffin played well after a couple weeks of riding the bench, adding two tackles and his first interception of the season.

Although the Vikings limited the Bears on offense, their inability to capitalize on opportunities to put points on the board was costly. Add that to their three turnovers, and you’ve got a disappointing 17-13 loss to put the lid of this 2011 season for the Vikings.

It was the last game that the Vikings will play at the Metrodome and possibly in Minnesota. It was the last game that the Vikings will have 13-year veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser donning the horns. It was the last game that the Vikings had to gain some confidence heading into the offseason and, much like the other 15 previous games, they fell short.

The Vikings will now look towards the future as their offseason gets under way. With numerous holes to fill and a plethora of decisions to make, the Vikings front office will certainly be busy in the upcoming months.

It’s always darkest before the dawn, and the Vikings will be working hard this offseason in hopes that the sun rises a little on their 2012 campaign.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

What do you guys think about this.

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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This Sunday’s tilt against the Chicago Bears at the Metrodome will mark the final game for long-time Minnesota Vikings’ tight end Jim Kleinsasser. Kleinsasser, who was the team’s second-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons in a Minnesota uniform, and recently set the record for most games played by a Vikings’ tight end.

As a way to honor him this Sunday, the Vikings have distributed this little beauty. It’s a cut-out beard, designed to look like Kleinsasser’s, that the team wants folks to print out, cut out, and wear to this Sunday’s game. Not only that, but if you take a picture of yourself wearing the beard and upload it to the Vikings’ official FaceBook page, you can win prizes. (Prizes have not been specified.)

So, if you’ll be at the Metrodome this Sunday for the season finale, show your respect for one of the more unheralded players in Vikings’ history.

Fear the beard!

What are your opinions.

The Minnesota Vikings already lost one of their franchise players in a game where they were already eliminated from playoff contention when Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL against the Washington Redskins on December 24, 2011. Should they take another chance with the man that they drafted with the 12^th-overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft?

Christian Ponder is expected to start in Minnesota’s 2011-12 regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears on January 1, 2012. Doctors have cleared him to play as he has passed all the necessary tests following a concussion that he suffered against the Redskins. The injury occurred when Redskins linebacker London Fletcher put a powerful hit on Ponder when the game was tied 10-10.

Ponder admitted that this was the second concussion that he has had in his football career. The Vikings invested heavily in Ponder when they selected him with their 12^th pick. Ponder was the fourth quarterback taken after Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert.

I’m a bit surprised that the Vikings don’t err on the side of caution. Concussions can be unpredictable. It doesn’t help that Steve Hutchinson won’t be protecting him against a Bears’ defensive line that includes Henry Melton and Julius Peppers. Hutchinson was placed on injured reserve with his own head injury.

Ponder doesn’t need to rush back. Joe Webb has outperformed Ponder in his past two outings. Webb completed 4-of-5 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. He also had a rushing touchdown as he led the Vikings to a 33-26 victory after Ponder left the game. The Vikings were also trailing 21-0 to the Detroit Lions before Webb led them within a couple yards of a comeback. The Vikings eventually lost 34-28 after a facemask penalty went uncalled.

That doesn’t even include his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Webb outplayed Michael Vick while the Eagles were gunning for a first-round bye. The Vikings won 24-14.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier gave his support for Ponder as the starting quarterback. According to Frazier:

“I think you always want to do whatever is best for your team and whatever gives your team the best chance to win. Right now, Christian being our starting quarterback, that’s our belief.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Vikings handle their quarterback situation heading into the 2012-13 season. The front office will obviously favor Ponder because of what they invested in him. However, it may be difficult to keep Webb benched if he continues to take advantage of these situations.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network

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That’s all the news for today.

The late-season roster chances continue to roll in for the Minnesota Vikings.

On Tuesday, the Vikings placed veteran left guard Steve Hutchinson on the Injured Reserve list. Hutchinson, who’s been dealing with a concussion for the past couple of weeks, wasn’t progressing at a quick enough rate to play on Sunday. Instead of allowing a roster spot to go to waste, the Vikings elected to end Hutchinson’s 2011 season early.

Hutchinson is in the final year of his seven-year, $49 million contract that he signed back in 2006. Although he’s still valuable as a seasoned blocker and veteran presence out on the field, his talents continued to dwindle year after year to the point where he might not be worth the asking price. There’s a very good chance that the Vikings won’t bring Hutchinson back at the end of the season.

In the instance that Hutchinson’s days as a Viking are over, it’s likely that Minnesota will move current left tackle Charlie Johnson inside to play guard while setting their sights on a new left tackle either via the draft or free agency. If they stay in their current draft position (No. 3 overall), there’s a definite possibility that USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil could be wearing purple and gold by late April.

Taking Hutchinson’s place on the active roster is rookie running back Jordan Todman. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers, Todman excelled during the 2011 preseason but failed to make the 53-man roster once the regular season began. After clearing waivers, the Chargers signed him back to the practice squad with hopes that he would eventually inherit the third-down back role that Darren Sproles deserted. The Vikings, however, lured him away from the Chargers’ practice squad by offering him a spot on their active roster.

With the addition of Todman, the Vikings are preparing for a 2012 season that could potentially start without All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. After suffering a severe left knee injury last Saturday, there’s some doubt that Peterson will be ready when the 2012 regular season finally arrives. In essence, it’s a move that is focused on the future.

In the meantime, Todman will act as the Vikings’ emergency running back in the case that something happens to both Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker. Fellow rookie running back Caleb King was promoted to the active roster on Monday, but isn’t expected to dress on Sunday when the Vikings host the Chicago Bears.

The Vikings have been stockpiling young talent for the past few weeks and the addition of Todman is no exception.

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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Gotta run!.

MOORHEAD – Minnesota Vikings fans may have to curb their newfound enthusiasm about news of an agreement for a new stadium.

State Representative Morrie Lanning of Moorhead responded on Monday to reports made by NBC’s Football Night in America contributor Peter King that a stadium deal between the National Football League team and the state was close and no longer a matter of “if” but “when.”

“He (King) did not talk with me, and as far as I know there is nothing new to report,” said Lanning about King’s report that was televised Sunday evening. “My understanding is that he talked with one or two people either from the Vikings or the NFL and put the most positive spin on whatever he heard from those people.”

Lanning, who represents District 9A, also said he could see why people reading King’s report would think there would be something new to report on the stadium issue.

The Minnesota Vikings (3-12) are set to play their final game under its current lease agreement with the Metrodome on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. The team has played at the Metrodome since 1982.

The Vikings have said they will not renew their lease with the Metrodome at the end of this season if there is not a deal for a new stadium in place.

Los Angeles land developers have expressed interest in bringing football to the city and there is a belief that the Vikings would be a leading candidate to relocate if the state legislature can’t pass a stadium bill to keep the team in Minnesota.

Lanning said lawmakers are set to meet again this week to continue discussions.

“Later in the week and next week will be a critical time to set forth a proposal,” Lanning said.

Lanning also said the naming of the new Senate majority leader will be a big development in future stadium discussions. He told The Forum it was his understanding the new Senate majority leader could be decided as early as today, but also said it could be delayed if not all members of the Republican caucus are in agreement.

Currently there a several parties working on keeping the Vikings in Minnesota, including the team itself.

There are plans for a stadium to be built in Arden Hills, Minn. – located in Ramsey County – along with possible building sites being discussed in Minneapolis.

The Vikings have played in Minnesota since they entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1961.

The key problem surrounding the stadium has been funding.

Minnesota is in a budget crunch and many state legislators have publicly voiced concerns over giving large amounts of state funds for the construction of a stadium.

Lanning, along with State Senator Julie Rosen of Fairmont and Governor Mark Dayton, have been the key figures in the stadium debate.

“We remain hopeful and optimistic of putting a reasonable plan to submit to the legislature,” Lanning said. “We’re just not there yet.”

Readers can reach Forum copy editor

Tom Mix at (701) 451-5750

Tags:
sports, viking, football

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

What are your opinions.

The “same team, different face” routine continues for the Minnesota Vikings with only one week left until their disastrous 2011 season comes to an end.

A day after discovering that All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has torn both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medical collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee, the Vikings have placed their offensive workhorse on the Injured Reserve list.

With such an awful diagnosis comes a dreadful timetable for Peterson’s recovery. The Vikings are optimistic that he will heal ahead of schedule, but it’s unlikely that he will be at full strength once the 2012 regular season gets under way. An injury of this magnitude usually takes anywhere from 8-9 months before the knee can be fully operational.

Peterson is expected to undergo surgery to repair the ligaments within the next 7-10 days.

Taking his place on the active roster as the Vikings’ third option at running back is rookie Caleb King. A former Georgia Bulldog who slipped through the cracks of the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft, King has spent the entire 2011 regular season as part of the Vikings practice squad. With Peterson out, the Vikings needed a fresh set of legs to provide support to Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker for their final game of the season. Considered a huge project at running back, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Vikings give King an opportunity to prove that he’s NFL-worthy when they take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday.

Also moving up from the practice squad is second-year tight end Mickey Shuler. Signed to the practice squad back in late-November, Shuler was originally a 2010 seventh-round draft pick of the Vikings before he was waived and picked up by the Miami Dolphins. While with the Dolphins last season, he played in six games (two starts) and hauled in two passes for 44 yards.

In order to make room for Shuler on the active roster, the Vikings have waived rookie tight end Allen Reisner. An undrafted rookie out of Iowa, Reisner has played in six games for the Vikings this season and caught one pass for five yards.

With only one game left on the agenda, the Vikings will be looking to give their young, unproven players opportunities to earn themselves a 2012 training camp spot. Look for both of these former practice squad members to have their names called at some point against the Bears.

As for Peterson, all the Vikings can do is hope that he returns next year as the same running back that terrorized the NFL for the past five years. If there’s any player-trainer duo that can get it done, it’s Peterson and Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all the news for today.

Read More: adrian peterson injury, Adrian Peterson (RB – MIN), Mickey Shuler (TE – MIN), Allen Reisner (TE – MIN), Caleb King (RB – MIN), Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson’s knee injury has landed the All-Pro running back on the injured reserve, effectively ending the season for the Minnesota Vikings running back. In a corresponding move, the Vikings signed Caleb King from the team’s practice squad.

Peterson’s season ended with a torn ACL, a torn ACL and further damage to his meniscus as well, and while his status for the beginning of next season could be in doubt, Peterson put forth a solid effort this season for a losing team. The fifth-year pro ran for 970 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games for the Vikings, overcoming a high ankle sprain before the knee injury took him out of action for good.

King has yet to make his NFL debut after being a player on the Vikings practice squad thus far this season, but the rookie running back carried the ball 80 times for 430 yards for the Georgia Bulldogs last season.

The Vikings also waived tight end Allen Reisner on Monday while promoting Mickey Shuler from the practice squad.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Friday Night Lights when James “Boobie” Miles injures his knee after a defender tackles him from the side, then you know of the pain that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had to endure.

This past Saturday, during the Vikings’ game against the Washington Redskins, Peterson’s knee took a shot from the side a la Miles that made spectators everywhere cringe. As many of you know, knees aren’t supposed to go sideways. Well, Peterson’s did and it wasn’t pleasant to watch.

After suffering the injury, Peterson was helped off of the field before being carted to the locker room. It was immediately speculated on that he had torn his ACL and sure enough, he had.

“An MRI this evening revealed that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” the team said in a statemen t released on Saturday night.

On Monday, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and team head trainer Eric Sugarman addressed the media regarding Peterson’s injury. According to Sugarman, Peterson not only tore his ACL but also his MCL.

“[Adrian] did tear the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, also did tear the medical collateral ligament in that knee,” Sugarman confirmed.

Fortunately for Peterson and the Vikings, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) did not sustain any damage. The last key Vikings player to pull off a trifecta (ACL, MCL, PCL) was quarterback Daunte Culpepper back in 2005. For those of you who weren’t around to witness that, Culpepper was never the same after his recovery and the Vikings haven’t had a quality quarterback since (don’t you dare bring up that old geezer from 2009).

The Vikings’ All-Pro running back will undergo surgery to repair the ligaments in the next 7-10 days, although the surgeon who will operate on Peterson has yet to be determined. Typically, this type of injury involves 8-9 months of rehab before the knee returns to full mobility. Following that guideline, it’s not expected that Peterson will be back in the lineup until the opening week of the 2012 NFL regular season.

Despite this extended timetable for recovery from what appeared to be a potential career-ending injury, Frazier and Sugarman are confident that Peterson will bounce back quicker and stronger than expected.

“He’ll be the guy that people look at and say, ‘Wow! Look at Adrian Peterson. He’s just as good or better than before the surgery,’” Frazier said. “Adrian will be back to play at the start of next season. I think he’ll turn out to be one of those case studies people look at when they want to see how a guy rehabbed to come back strong.”

According to Frazier, the Vikings will likely promote practice squad running back Caleb King to the active roster in response to Peterson’s injury. He will act as the third running back behind Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker.

Don’t be blindfolded by the team’s optimism, though. Tearing both the ACL and MCL is a horrendous injury for any athlete to deal with, even an athlete as remarkable as Peterson. The recovery process is going to be a long one and no one can be sure whether or not we’ll ever see the same AP that gave defensive coordinators nightmares for the last five years. The only thing to do at this point is wait patiently in hopes that Peterson is back at it in 2012, wreaking havoc for the Vikings like so many have grown accustomed to.

For a team that’s had more than its fair share of setbacks this season, the Vikings couldn’t have imagined anything much worse than losing their prized possession to an injury of this magnitude.

Like the old saying goes: when it rains, it pours.

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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Read More: Joe Webb (QB – MIN), Christian Ponder (QB – MIN), Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins, Dec 24, 2011 12:00 PM CST

The Minnesota Vikings spent their first round draft pick on Christian Ponder last year, but the team’s past couple of games are apparently making the coaching staff re-think that decision. The reason being, of course, that Joe Webb may have been the quarterback of the future all along.

Webb was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, but has been looked at as more of a gadget guy who can provide different looks rather than a prototypical quarterback. His ability to lead a second Vikings comeback in as many appearances has apparently made head coach Leslie Frazier re-think that, however, according to statements made to 1500 ESPN.

“Some of the things he does, man, and what it does to the rest of our team — you can’t ignore it,” Frazier said after Webb led three touchdown drives in relief of injured Christian Ponder and the Vikings beat the Washington Redskins 33-26.

“It’s something we’re going to take a real hard look at as we go forward. He definitely lifts our team. He’s done it. He did it a season ago as well.”

Few fans will be happy if Webb earns the starting spot over Ponder heading into next season — though that’ll be more due to the drafting of Ponder than the starting of Webb — but it’ll be worth keeping an eye on as Minnesota continues looking forward to next season.

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CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 24, 2011

LANDOVER, Md. — Out for the game — and possibly much longer — with a knee injury that looked and felt serious, 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.

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, breaking a six-game losing streak that helped make up for the fact that their best player was standing on crutches in the locker room.

“I can enjoy my Christmas now,” coach Leslie 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 was scheduled for 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.

A torn ACL, the worst case scenario, would 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. “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.

That’s all the news for today.