Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been ruled
out of Sunday’s game because of a sprained left ankle.

The Vikings announced Saturday that Peterson had been downgraded
on the injury report from doubtful to out and would not travel with
the team to Atlanta to play the Falcons. This will be only the
fourth game in Peterson’s five-year NFL career that he will
miss.

Toby Gerhart will be the featured runner in Peterson’s
place.

The Vikings also waived wide receiver Stephen Burton Saturday
and signed tight end Allen Reisner from the practice squad with
their top two tight ends hurting. Kyle Rudolph is doubtful because
of a bruised quadriceps, and Visanthe Shiancoe is questionable due
to a strained hamstring.

On this beautiful (and rather cold) Thanksgiving Thursday, it’s a wonderful time for reflection on all of things in this world worth being thankful for. For the Minnesota Vikings, there’s still plenty to be thankful for despite their 2-8 start to the 2011 NFL regular season. It may be hard to believe, but it’s true nonetheless.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the five things that the Vikings should be thankful for on Turkey Day 2011.

1. Adrian Peterson

Does this one really need some sort of explanation? The Vikings have arguably the best running back in the NFL. Despite a high-ankle sprain, the human wrecking ball is still fired up to play this weekend and hasn’t called it quits despite a 2-8 record. Although speculation continues to arise about the possibility of Peterson getting fed up with this rather unsuccessful Vikings team, I don’t think Purple Jesus will be leaving anytime soon.

2. Christian Ponder(notes) has shown promise for the future

After several years of bringing in one over-the-hill quarterback after another, the Vikings finally appear to have found their quarterback of the future in their rookie first-round pick. It’s obvious that Ponder has been suffering from growing pains, but his poise, moxie and play-making abilities have led me to believe that there’s hope. Let’s just hope that his confidence and short memory aren’t giving Vikings fans everywhere false optimism.

3. No more Bernard Berrian(notes)

Why they held on to the inadequate wide receiver for so long is beyond me. Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier continued to give him one undeserved chance after another no matter how many catchable balls he dropped. Even if three rookies (Stephen Burton(notes), Emmanuel Arceneaux(notes), Kerry Taylor(notes)) were starting at wide receiver by season’s end, the Vikings would be better off than having Berrian in the lineup.

4. A high draft pick next April

If the 2012 NFL Draft were to take place tomorrow, the Vikings would be the proud owners of a Top 5 pick. With the plethora of talent that this upcoming draft boasts, it’s almost a guarantee that the Vikings will have a new top-tier talent to flaunt when the 2012 NFL season finally rolls around. Whether it’s an offensive tackle, wide receiver or cornerback, one thing is for sure: those positions can only get better at this point.

5. A new stadium in Minnesota isn’t completely out of the question

Roadblock after roadblock, the Vikings continue to explore every possible option that will land them a new stadium deal. From Arden Hills to Minneapolis, the Vikings are looking far and wide in hopes of avoiding a move to the West Coast. The fact that time is running out isn’t promising, but I’ve got my fingers crossed and so should you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

It wouldn’t be an NFL Sunday without a fight between two players. The below incident happened during the Carolina Panthers/Minnesota Vikings game when Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin was thrown into the Carolina Panthers bench area by Carolina’s Captain Munnerlyn (what a name!).

Percy didn’t take it kindly being thrown into the bench area and decided to fight the Captain but had to also deal with Panthers tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen:

***

Percy Harvin and Captain Munnerlyn Mix It Up [Cosby Sweaters]

Percy Harvin Fights the Panthers [Outside the Boxscore]

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings are trying to put wide receiver Percy Harvin on the field more.

Harvin leads the team with nine catches and 83 yards receiving through two games, plus 33 yards rushing and a kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the season at San Diego. But Harvin was only used on about half of the snaps in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay, largely because he’s not a part of a certain formation the Vikings used often and ran the ball well out of in that game.

Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said Thursday he wants to work Harvin into more of the offense to take advantage of his versatility and diverse skills. Minnesota hosts Detroit on Sunday.

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

Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson(notes) has struggled to meet the expectations of Minnesota Vikings fans ever since he was selected by the team in the second round of the 2006 draft out of Alabama State. Now he might not need to worry about that anymore.

ESPN 610 Seattle reports that Jackson may be getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks once the players and owners finally agree upon the new CBA. There he can join former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

“Seattle would get a quarterback who looks very good in practice, has a big-time arm and athletically is gifted,” Minneapolis Star Tribune Vikings beat reporter Jeff Zulgad told the station. Zulgad also notes that Jackson has been practicing with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald(notes) this offseason. “Tarvaris has really dedicated himself to being in shape, and coming into whichever camp he goes into in far better condition than he did last year.”

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Source: ESPN 610 Seattle

Related: Tarvaris Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings