Adrian Peterson Leads Vikings To 24-10 Win Over Lions

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AP Has Another Big Day W/ 160 Yards Rus

   RECAP: Adrian Peterson continued his re-emergence as the Vikings' most valuable player with a dazzling 160-yard, two-touchdown performance to lead Minnesota to its first victory of 2010 against the always forgiving Lions (0-3). Brett Favre (23 of 34, 201 yards) was pressured plenty by Detroit's staunch defensive line and threw a pair of interceptions. But he connected with nine different receivers trying to establish some type of rhythm. His 24-yard touchdown strike to Percy Harvin tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter before the Vikings handed over the offense to Peterson.







MEANING: Favre and the passing game remain mostly inefficient but there is no mystery to Minnesota's offensive identity -- hand the ball to Peterson and let him pound the ball up field. The Vikings improve to 1-2 and salvage some dignity entering the bye week, with a brutal stretch of games looming against perennial playoff teams. They are off until Oct. 11, when they travel to New York for a Monday night matchup against reality show darlings the Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium.







PLAY OF THE GAME: First-and-10 at the Detroit 20 with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter and leading 17-10, Peterson hits the line of scrimmage, stiff arms C.C. Brown and out runs the Lions' safety for an 80-yard touchdown to put the game in a vise. It was Peterson's longest career run and the fourth-longest in team history.







ETC.: Linebackers Ben Leber and Chad Greenway recovered key Lions turnovers. Greenway







recovered Stefan Logan's muffed punt to set up Harvin's touchdown while Leber intercepted former Viking Shaun Hill's pass at the goal line as the Lions were driving for a score late in the fourth quarter. Antoine Winfield later intercepted Hill in the end zone with 58 seconds remaining to seal the victory.



UP NEXT: Vikings at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, ESPN, KFAN-AM 1130

Recap Of Vikings Loss To Dolphins

Adrian Peterson could not be contained by the Dolphins defense but there were too many mistakes and miscues for the Vikings to overcome in their home opener. The result was a 14-10 victory for the Dolphins at Mall of America Field on Sunday, as a visiting team won a regular season game at the Vikings home stadium for the 1st time since December of 2008.




The mistakes and miscues added up for the Vikings, as they were penalized 7 times for 44 yards and turned the ball over 4 times. While one Vikings superstar - Peterson – was up to his old tricks (28 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD), another Vikings superstar just couldn’t get it going. Favre lost a fumble in the endzone that was recovered for a TD and he threw 3 INTs.



Usually dominant at home, where they accumulated a 9-0 record last year, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 1st half. Favre drove the Vikings from their own 29 to Miami’s 32 in just 9 plays on the game’s opening drive, but a decision to go for it on 4th down ended up costing the Vikings points. Miami’s defense held and the offense immediately drove on the Vikings defense to take a quick 7-0 lead.



Both teams scored TDs in the 3rd quarter. Miami scored when LB Koa Misi fell on Favre’s endzone fumble and the Vikings scored when LB Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble forced by his older brother, E.J., near the Dolphins goal line. Peterson plowed his way into the endzone 2 plays after the Hendersons combined to turn Miami over.



The Vikings held Miami to just 1 first down and 4 total plays on the ensuing drive, giving the offense possession after a punt on the Vikings 11-yardline. That’s where the Vikings relied on their workhorse, Peterson, to take over. Peterson accounted for 62 yards on the Vikings drive and after a sack of Favre, Ryan Longwell came on to salvage a few points by splitting the uprights on a 28-yard try that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10.



The Vikings defense rose up 3 more times from that point on but the Vikings offense wasn’t able to capitalize. Following Longwell’s FG, Minnesota forced the Dolphins to a 3-and-out. But Favre followed with an INT, giving the Dolphins possession on their own 34. One play later, the Vikings defense forced another Dolphins fumble and Favre and Co. took possession on Miami’s 24.



Five plays after the recovered fumble, the Vikings had a 4th and goal from the 1, but Miami’s defense bowed up and stopped Peterson, giving their offense possession on the 1.



From there, the Dolphins picked up 1 first down via a holding penalty against the Vikings defense, but DT Kevin Williams batted down a Chad Henne pass on 3rd down, which gave the Purple another chance to mount a game-winning drive.



The Vikings took over after a punt on their own 45. Favre drove the team down to the Dolphins 31 on 3 plays, but from there he threw 3 incompletions and eventually the ball was turned over to Miami, where they were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.



The loss drops Minnesota to 0-2, the same record they had in 2008 before they won 10 of their next 14 on the way to a division title.

Sack Brings Brett Favre's 2010 Debut With The Vikings To An Early End

Brett Favre Smiles After Being Sacked

Patrick Willis Sacks Brett Favre On His 3rd Play

  

Trench Battle At CandleStick Park

       One proclamation and three preseason practices were all Vikings quarterback Brett Favre needed to leverage a start Sunday night in his 2010 debut against the 49ers.

Peterson Redeems Himself After

One brief offensive series and leaky pass protection were all it took to convince coach Brad Childress to put Favre back in the box and let the more prepared Tarvaris Jackson line up behind the first-team offensive line.

Favre was on the field for only four plays during the Vikings' 15-10 loss at Candlestick Park before he was seen donning a baseball cap and basking in the northern California sunshine on the sideline.

Afterward, with little to evaluate about his appearance, Favre did damage control, scoffing at a report last week that he does not trust Childress because they clashed several times last season about how the offense should be managed.

"I would say at times we disagreed on certain things but our relationship is fine. It really is," Favre told reporters after the game. "We were fine the next day. We worked it out. I thought our results last year spoke for themselves."

On Wednesday, the day after Favre reported to Minnesota, Yahoo! Sports quoted an anonymous teammate saying Favre had little respect for Childress and questioned Childress' clumsy attempts to control news about the three-man reconnaissance mission to bring him back.

Favre called a team meeting Thursday, when Childress was visiting Percy Harvin at the hospital after the receiver collapsed during practice, to dismiss the Yahoo! story and caution his teammates about unfounded leaks.

"I felt like it was important that we cleared the air and made sure that we were together in that room when we left, and we were," Favre said. "(Childress) was made out to be the scapegoat but it was a totally ridiculous article. The guys that spoke in that meeting said, 'Hey, if someone has a problem with another player or another coach in here, speak up like a man.'

"No one obviously spoke up. That's not to say there would be someone who would say that. But I don't believe it. I really don't. That was addressed, and I think that's behind us now."

Much like his first preseason start last year against Kansas City, when Favre was leveled by Chiefs linebacker Corey Mays on his third snap, Favre's ordinary series Sunday will be remembered for him getting flattened by another blitzing linebacker.

The 49ers' Patrick Willis easily shed Adrian Peterson's block in the backfield and teamed with fellow linebacker Takeo Spikes to swarm Favre and drive him to the turf for a 10-yard loss. "



What can the Vikings foreshadow  this season from Favre's short performance against the 49er's, not much. Favre looked a little hesitant on his throws and didn't have the spark in his eye that we know. All we can conclude is that he's eager to play again and hopefully ready to go after that Superbowl this season. Brett remarked, "when I'm I decided to return the only way I know how to go is all in and if I wasn't ready to return and play at that level than I wouldn't have returned." Brett Favre says he's all in mentally but how about physically. Quarterbacks need to have resiliency and this year Favre's ankle and aging body could prevent him from playing to his potential. We all know Favre's "all in " mentally, but his ankle might keep him out of games.


     Favre's biggest play came to RB Adrian Peterson for a sidleine dump pass for 13 yards. Two plays later 49ers linebacker and pro bowler Patrick Willis sacked him for a 10 yard loss forcing Favre out of the game and the Vikings to punt. But be realistic Vikings fans. Don't talk smack about Brett Favre just because his first offensive series was unsuccessful. He played four plays not even enough to warm him up. Preceding the game vs the 49ers, which the Vikings lost 10-15, Favre only practiced three times. So, it's like going from throwing to high school kids with nobody trying to sack you, to stud pro bowlers like Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis sacking you. We all know that Brett Favre is going to unload his strikes come game day against the Saints and will kick ass again this season. When Brett gets going there is no stopping him so all that's got to happen is for Brett to start seeing the plays and getting used to moving in the pocket and throwing tight passes again. Anyways, here;s a recap of the Pre-season loss vs the San Fransisco 49ers:


It took Brett Favre all summer to decide he'd play football again. Patrick Willis helped end Favre's night after one series.




Willis brought the rush to Favre on the Vikings' third play of the game for a 10-yard sack with teammate Takeo Spikes closing as well.



Willis considered it payback for a down field block Favre threw on him in a Week 3 loss last season.



"He's a wise old vet," Willis said after Sunday's 15-10 victory over the Vikings at Candlestick. "I guess he was like, 'This is a little too much for me right now just coming back.' I guess a lot of people thought he shouldn't have played.



"I was happy to be out there myself."



Willis played two series with the starting defense, and made sure it was ready to go with the season opener still three weeks away.



Dropping a 40-year-old quarterback just off the Mississippi farm is one thing. It was quite another how Willis ankle-tackled Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson in the open field.



And, going back to that Favre sack ... it happened as Willis shoved Peterson into the quarterback.



"That was my fault," Peterson said. "Willis, being the great 'backer that he is, got underneath me and pushed me right into him."