National Football League teams can pull one player off injured reserve per season, so the Vikings would be able to activate the leading rusher in franchise history sometime down the stretch if he were to heal swiftly. The Vikings are one of three teams in the NFC at 2-0 and the others are in the NFC East (the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles), which the Vikings play this season. The run-blocking has been abysmal as a whole, and shifty Jerick McKinnon (2.7 yards per carry) and bruising Matt Asiata (2.7) will now share the backfield load.
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Bradford looked comfortable in his first start for Minnesota against Green Bay last week, but he’s shown in the past he’s prone to mistakes. The Vikings did indeed get the victory, but it certainly came at a cost.
But tight end Greg Olsen also had some dad instincts, saying he might have his family curb their normal pre-game routine. Running back Jonathan Stewart will be missing from the game due to a hamstring injury (Cameron Artis-Payne and a couple others will fill in for him), but tackling Stewart might be have been a blessing compared to tackling the linebacker in quarterback’s clothing named Cam Newton. 9 times out of 10 I am for starting Cam Newton.
Peterson is out and he is not coming back anytime soon, so it is time for Minnesota to place their focus on another aspect of the offense.
The Panthers (1-1) are fresh off a 46-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Adrian Peterson had surgery for the torn meniscus in his right knee; Matt Kalil’s ailing left hip requires surgery; and Ronnie Hillman was signed to provide depth to the running backs, just for starters. Benjamin is also averaging 1.5 yards more per catch this year than in 2014. Smith is Minnesota’s most versatile defender and has the ability to play single-high safety or play in the box and rush off the edge.
The coaches and players want the game to be played.
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Kalil went on injured reserve after struggling through the first two games, effectively ending his season. The Vikings have recovered an NFL-high four fumbles through two games.
