But he didn’t sound that optimistic, either. He expects the same from his team following Peterson’s injury. “Source said there is some ligament damage for Adrian Peterson, MRI [Monday] will show how much”, Cole adds.
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He had gained only 19 yards on 12 carries, although his presence had helped Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford hit Stefon Diggs on a pair of long strikes when the Packers were loading up to stop Peterson. Getting tough, as Zimmer promised, will help enormously. But they’ll need more than that.
Zimmer was addressing the media this afternoon.
Just one potential hiccup: the fans were so rowdy, and the new building so resonant, that the Vikings offense had trouble hearing the the snap count. There will be adversity, it won’t be great every game – it’s just how it is.
The Vikings are now 2-0 on the season, and will next Sunday when they travel to Carolina to face the Panthers.
Peterson has still only missed nine games to injury in his career (not including the legal absences of 2014). But he wasn’t 31 then.
Peterson suffered a torn left ACL in 2011, but that was to his left knee.
“This is a pretty resilient football team”.
MORE: Is the sky falling in Minnesota?
Incredibly, the Packers had a couple golden chances to erase the Vikings’ tenuous 17-14 lead and possibly go ahead in the fourth quarter.
If Peterson can’t go on Sunday, that means that Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon will likely carry the load for the Vikings.
McCarthy said extensive surgery could end Peterson’s season. And Bradford is more experienced, in case he has to shoulder it now.
Playing just two weeks after being acquired from Philadelphia in an emergency trade following the season-ending knee injury to Teddy Bridgewater, Bradford completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
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As Peterson left the arena propped up by two Vikings staffers, he was hobbling his way past patrons who couldn’t help but stare at the hurt megastar, who is now contracted to Minnesota for $42 million over three years. For now, they’re in limbo. “We’ve got to do better”.
