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.

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

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Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson
has scheduled surgery to repair his left knee.

Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation Friday in Alabama, six days
after Peterson tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his
knee while being tackled in a game against the Washington Redskins.

Coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson will be back in Minnesota on Monday for
the team’s season-ending meetings. His rehabilitation work will be done in
Minnesota and his home state of Texas.

Peterson was on crutches Thursday when he entered the locker room, but he
didn’t speak to reporters. He finished the season with 970 yards and 12
touchdowns rushing in 12 games.

The Vikings have said they expect him to be ready for next year’s opener.

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

Gotta run!.

The athletic abilities of star running back Adrian Peterson led
the Minnesota Vikings to give him a seven-year, $100 million
contract extension before the season started.

Now, they hope his recuperative abilities are just as good and
he is able to live up to being the highest-paid running back in the
NFL.

Minnesota expects Peterson to be recovered from left knee
surgery for two torn ligaments in time to start the 2012
season.

“We expect most people to recover from this injury in eight to
nine months and instead of comparing Adrian to any other player at
any level that’s had an anterior cruciate ligament, and they happen
every day, I would really like Adrian to stand on his own merit
because Adrian, I feel, is very unique,” Vikings head trainer Eric
Sugarman said Monday.

“Adrian has a great work ethic. Adrian has the DNA to heal
quickly, which he has shown in the past. He certainly will have the
desire and the mental toughness to be able to get through the rehab
process, which will take months and months, as you know. So, I
think if anyone can get better quickly and safely in that time
period, it would be Adrian Peterson.”

Peterson tore his ACL and MCL when he was hit in the side of the
knee by Washington Redskins safety DeJon Gomes in the third quarter
of Saturday’s 33-26 win at Washington. An MRI on Saturday evening
revealed the ligament tears and meniscus damage, and Peterson will
undergo surgery within the next seven to 10 days.

Backup Toby Gerhart, who started three games earlier this season
when Peterson was out with a high ankle sprain, will start Sunday
in the season-finale against the Chicago Bears. A second-round pick
in 2010, Gerhart has filled in well for Peterson and notched the
first 100-yard rushing game of his career with 109 yards on 11
carries Saturday. But the Vikings expect Gerhart’s time as the
starter to be short-lived.

“He sets his goals extremely high and he’s one of those guys
who, when he puts his mind to it, there’s no reason to ever doubt
that he can achieve what he sets his mind to,” Minnesota coach
Leslie Frazier said of Peterson. “We’re looking forward to his
attacking this rehab like he’s attacked every offseason, to come
back and play and be even better than he was before. I know with
Eric and our medical staff, they’re going to do everything they can
to get him back on the field and ready to go when we line up in
that first football game next season.”

Gerhart’s emergence over the past month at least offers optimism
if Peterson has to miss extended time next season.

Gerhart has had the top three rushing days of his career in the
past four weeks. On his first carry after Peterson left Saturday’s
game, Gerhart showed some big-play ability of his own, busting free
for a 67-yard run, the longest of his short career.

Believing Peterson will be ready for the first game of 2012 and
knowing Gerhart is available if needed, Frazier said the team
wouldn’t change its run-first offensive approach.

“One of things about Adrian’s absence earlier in the season, we
had a chance to get Toby some extended snaps and we really haven’t
altered the offense by any means,” Frazier said. “Toby has done a
very good job in Adrian’s absence. Did a great job (Saturday) of
stepping in and performing and rushing for over 100 yards. So we
really haven’t had to alter things. We really don’t plan to. We
look forward to eventually getting Adrian back on the field, but we
don’t think we have to really alter the offense.”

That’s all for today.

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.

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

That’s all the news for today.

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.

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.

Comment Below!.

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.

LANDOVER, Md. — Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore a ligament in his left knee Saturday after taking a direct hit in a 33-26 win over the Washington Redskins.

An MRI showed the anterior cruciate ligament tear after the team returned to Minnesota.

Leave your comments on the news below.

LANDOVER, Md. — Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore a ligament in his left knee Saturday after taking a direct hit in a 33-26 win over the Washington Redskins.

An MRI showed the anterior cruciate ligament tear after the team returned to Minnesota.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP)—Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore a
ligament in his left knee Saturday after taking a direct hit in a 33-26 win over
the Washington Redskins.

An MRI showed the anterior cruciate ligament tear after the team returned to
Minnesota.

Peterson said he knew “it was something bad” the moment he was hit and
that he was in “severe pain” on he lay on the field. He was hurt when tackled
by Redskins safety DeJon Gomes at the end of a 3-yard gain on the first
offensive play of the second half.

“Anytime you take a blow to the knee like that, you’re concerned about the
ACL, MCL,” Peterson said as he stood on crutches in the locker room. “I’m
trying to stay as positive as I can.”

The torn ACL would likely sideline Peterson for some nine months and make it
difficult for him to return for the start of next season.

On the play after Peterson was hurt, Minnesota’s Christian 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.

Coach Leslie 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 Chicago Bears.

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

Peterson had 12 carries for 38 yards when he left. He also had a 1-yard
touchdown run in the second quarter.

Ponder completed 8 of 13 passes for 68 yards. He was replaced by Joe Webb,
who scored on a 9-yard run on the next series to give the Vikings the lead.

———

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

That’s all the news for today.

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

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

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

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