Peterson to Carry Vikings Through the Season, Fumble Them In Playoffs

MANKATO, MN—With star wide receiver Sidney Rice out with a hip injury until at least Week 8 and perhaps even the whole season, the success of the 2010 Minnesota Viking falls squarely in the hands of third-year running back Adrian Peterson, hands that will surely drop the ball at the worse possible moment.

“It's all up to me,” said Peterson after a recent practice. “The other guys on this team are relying on me to flourish during the regular season, and then to let them down when it matters the most.” Peterson, who is often compared to Barry Sanders and Earl Campbell, two other great backs that never won a Super Bowl, showed streaks of brilliance during his rookie and sophomore campaigns. He would have sealed his reputation as a great player who chokes in the clutch had he not been upstaged by teammate Brett Favre’s game-ending interception in the NFC Championship.

“This is Adrian’s team,” said Favre during a press conference announcing his highly predictable return to the Vikings. “Last year I was the guy who carried this team only to let them down in the end with a soul crushing turnover. Now it’s Adrian’s turn to do that. We know he has the potential to single handedly lose a big game—we saw that with his three fumbles in the NFC title game last season. The question is—can he get to the next level? Can he completely f*** us over in the Super Bowl? We all think he can.”