But he didn’t sound that optimistic, either.
Advertisement
If Peterson is hurt, the pressure will be on Bradford to do something he has yet to prove he can do since being drafted No.1 overall in 2010 – elevate his game enough to lead a team to the playoffs.
In a game that felt more “playoff” than “regular season”, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers battered and bruised one another.
Zimmer was clear Monday that those issues need to be fixed. Getting tough, as Zimmer promised, will help enormously.
Coach Mike Zimmer was not about to criticize the fans.
The teams that tend to successfully ride on the back of its defense do so mostly because they have a quarterback who offers a substantial downfield threat. According to the outlet, Coach Zimmer said that Adrian “might miss a week, he might not”, and that the injury has “calmed down”.
It was a feel-good game all-around: the Vikings beat the rival Packers on national TV, moved to 2-0, witnessed a fantastic debut by Sam Bradford, saw a repeat star performance from Stefon Diggs, and opened their shiny, new, bird-murdering stadium.
A torn ACL would keep Peterson out until next year, and he suffered that exact injury in his left knee towards the end of the 2011 season.
“I think this is a pretty resilient football team, ” Zimmer said.
MORE: Is the sky falling in Minnesota?
Bradford put up a glowing stat line in the win over Green Bay, completing 22 out of 31 passes for 286 yards and throwing two touchdowns, with no interceptions.
When asked about their confidence going into Charlotte, Vikings safety Harrison Smith told BringMeTheNews that it’s not any higher than it was prior to slowing Rodgers and the Packers.
Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon would appear to be the first two running backs in line for extra work should Peterson miss an extended period of time.
Aaron Rodgers has a few words of advice for those who are concerned about the Green Bay Packers’ struggling offense early in the season.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s shoulder injury and Tom Brady’s impending return will create a messy window for the Patriots in Week 3 (a Thursday night game) and Week 4, as their only healthy, non-suspended quarterback is rookie Jacoby Brissett. They went 7-9 that year.
“Then all of a sudden those numbers, you don’t want to stick to them because then you’re not doing what’s best for the team”. And Bradford is more experienced, in case he has to shoulder it now. Thankfully, he made a full recovery, leading the National Football League in rushing the next season.
Advertisement
The Carolina Panthers are a little banged up on offense with Tre Turner, Mike Remmers and Jonathan Stewart suffered injuries. For now, they’re in limbo.
