Adrian Peterson Wanted More Carries In The Vikings 14-9 Loss Vs Saints

Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Saints Defender

Adrian Peterson had 13 carries on the Vikings' first three possessions on Thursday night. The Vikings' game plan was, clearly, to get Peterson the ball coming out of the gate.

And then the Vikings got away from that game plan. Peterson had just six carries the rest of the game, and none at all on the Vikings' final drive, on which Brett Favre threw seven passes, the Vikings ended up punting with five and a half minutes left, and then the Saints proceeded to run out the clock.

So why didn't Peterson get the ball more late in the game? He says he asked for it, but he's not sure if coach Brad Childress heard him.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Peterson told Michael Silver after the game. "Whatever it takes to help this team win. I don't know if Coach heard me, but I remember walking by in the second half on the sideline saying, 'Hey, give it to me. Feed me.' I don't know if he really heard me. But there's a lot to learn from this game."

The No. 1 thing for the Vikings to learn is that just having Favre lead the offense won't be enough. They're going to have to feed the rock to Peterson more than 19 times a game this season.

Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms A Saints Defender

Saints Hold Off Vikings 14-9 To Open Season

Brett Could've been Doing This

          On a night that the city of New Orleans celebrated last season's accomplishments, the 2010 version of the Saints began their title defense with a 14-9 win over the Vikings on Thursday.

The Saints wasted no time in finding the end zone, scoring just 2:04 into the game. Brees hit Devery Henderson from 29 yards out, whipping the Superdome crowd into a frenzy and putting the defending champs up 7-0 before Favre and the Vikings' offense even touched the ball. Minnesota's first points of the game finally came in the second quarter on a Ryan Longwell field goal, cutting the deficit to four points. The Vikes took the lead later in the quarter when Visanthe Shiancoe hauled in a 20-yard Favre touchdown pass. A missed extra point by Longwell gave Minnesota a 9-7 lead at halftime.

New Orleans took control in the third quarter, finishing off an 11-play, 69-yard drive when Pierre Thomas plunged over the goal line to put the Saints back on top 14-9. Favre and the Vikings were unable to get back on the scoreboard and the Saints hung on for their first win of the new season.

Brees finished 27 of 36 for 237 yards and one touchdown while Favre went 15 of 27 for 171 with a scoring strike and one interception. Adrian Peterson was the game's leading rusher with 87 yards; Thomas led New Orleans with 71 yards on 19 carries. 

Vikings' corners see math problem

Which Corner backs Will Start? Winfield and Griffin like last year? Abdullah and Winfield? Sheppard and Winfield? Or Maybe a mixture of all four? We all know that Antoine Winfield is our number one corner back ,it just depends on who will win the second and slot covering positions?This is now the big focus on the Minnesota Vikings Roster Preparation for the regular season.

Cedric Griffin

Antoine Winfield

Husain Abdullah

Lito Sheppard

     

       The Saints like to use four receivers at a time, so being shorthanded could be an issue in the defensive

backfield    The Vikings have only three healthy cornerbacks on their active roster. The New Orleans Saints like to use four wide receiver sets.

It doesn't take a math whiz to realize the numbers don't work in the Vikings' favor.
But that is the predicament they face in their season opener Thursday against a Saints team that finished No. 1 in total offense and No. 4 in passing last season.
"It could be tough," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "Of course we're kind of short-handed, but that's football. We'll go out there and play with the guys that we have."
That group consists of Winfield, veteran Lito Sheppard and second-year player Asher Allen, the team's primary nickel back. Rookie Chris Cook was poised to start at right corner, but he suffered a knee injury in the third preseason game and could miss several games.
Their shortage of healthy corners forces the Vikings to explore different options. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier didn't even rule out getting some help from Cedric Griffin, who returned to practice this week after missing all of training camp while recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Griffin injured his knee covering a kickoff against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game in January. The team put him on the 53-man roster and he has practiced on a limited basis this week.
"The fact that he's out here practicing gives us some hope," Frazier said. "We're just trying to ascertain over the next couple days is it a real possibility. We're going to give it another day and see how he does [Tuesday]. But he has already done far more than we expected when we decided to put him on the 53."
Frazier admitted it's probably too late in the week to sign another cornerback, so they need to find the solution inside their own locker room. One possibility could be safety Husain Abdullah, who got limited playing time as the nickel corner last season.

It wouldn't be surprising if Abdullah plays a significant role, possibly even as a starter at safety. Abdullah said he's done "a little bit of everything" this week in practice.
Safety Jamarca Sanford is bothered by an ankle injury and is better suited in run support. And last season's No. 1 strong safety, Tyrell Johnson, expressed doubt that he will start.
"I don't really know, I doubt it though," he said. "But all you can do is handle your job, your responsibilities."
Sheppard admittedly didn't make many plays in preseason games, but he blamed it on a lack of opportunities. That shouldn't be a problem Thursday.
"You know what you're in store for," he said. "We know what the situation is going into this game. We just have to be professionals and be prepared for it."
The Vikings are hoping a consistent pass rush on quarterback Drew Brees will help their secondary. The Vikings were credited with one sack and four quarterback hurries against Brees in the NFC title game.
"[Pressure] is always important when you're playing against that guy," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "I think he's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. If we're going to win any kind of way -- whether we have 100 [defensive backs] -- we have to make him move and not let him get settled in the pocket."
The Vikings also need to be effective on third down. The Saints converted only three of 12 third-down opportunities in the playoff meeting. The Vikings can't afford to give that offense extra chances.
"They have so many weapons and can put up so many points on you so fast," Winfield said. "If we can get off the field like we did last year, we'll be good."
If not, their depth problem at cornerback could get magnified. The Vikings fully expect New Orleans to come out throwing the ball with their four-receiver sets.
"I'm sure they are reading the papers and looking on the Internet, seeing we have only three corners," Winfield said. "So we can expect that."

   Get Your Brett Favre Jersey The Season Opener Vs The New Orleans Saints is on September 9 only, four days from today. Below are jerseys of all the vikings players on the 2010 Roster.