Vikings running back Adrian Peterson fumbled two times in the Saints game on Sunday night and probably contributed to a third fumble that was charged to quarterback Brett Favre. Peterson, who has run for more than 1,300 yards in each of his three NFL seasons, had seven fumbles during the 2009 regular season.
Is his fumbling a serious problem? “I don’t think you can say it’s a serious problem,” said teammate Ian Johnson. “I don’t think there’s another human out there that can do most of the stuff he does. We all have our flaws and I think that’s something that Adrian is going to work on. …The man is ridiculous and he’s just going to keep getting better, and I don’t think this will be any type of problem.”
Johnson, who was a rookie running back on the practice squad this season, said he’s signed a new contract that will have him back with the team when practice starts up again in March. Johnson also said the possible departure of free agent running back Chester Taylor and the roster spot that could create was a factor in his decision to return here.
The NFL’s sudden death overtime rule is poor policy. For a league that is a business model for professional sports, it’s difficult to understand why the overtime rule, particularly in the playoffs, doesn’t allow both teams to have possession of the football and the opportunity to score.
It’s amateurish to have a sudden death situation like Sunday night’s overtime game between the Saints and Vikings. Those teams played 17 games each prior to Sunday night to qualify for the NFC championship game. Then both teams made big plays to force an overtime that began with a coin flip to determine who receives the ball. That’s way too much investment to allow a coin flip to play such a major role in determining the outcome of a championship game.
Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell talking about quarterback Brett Favre’s possible retirement: “My best evaluation is that he made up his mind a month ago and he’ll get a little healthier here over the next few weeks and make a decision. … I think it (the decision) will be sooner than later, but I think he will definitely give his body time to heal and recover.”
Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams might also retire. Kevin Williams, the Vikings other starting defensive tackle, said that Pat is his best friend on the team and he will try to persuade him to play another season. “I’ll probably slip a few calls in there along the way,” Kevin said. “He’s pretty smart about those things. …He knows his body and his self. If he feels he can do it, he’ll be back.”
Kevin Williams talking about coming so close to making the Super Bowl, a once in a lifetime experience for most NFL players: “I don’t know if words can explain how terrible you feel afterwards.”