National Football League

Adrian Peterson's return puts jolt into Vikings for 2015

Published Jun. 3, 2015 9:09 a.m. ET

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By Brady Poppinga

For the months leading up to yesterday's return to the field, the Minnesota Vikings were treading water in a sea of uncertainty about where they stood with their running back, Adrian Peterson. All things on paper looked positive this offseason with a young promising quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater and a strong 5-3 finish down the stretch.  

In an offseason of rightful optimism, the AP situation was still an anchor to the organization left unresolved. With Peterson's seemingly contrite return, confidence could once again fully permeate the organization during what's typically the feel-good part of the NFL calendar for most teams. Look no further than from what head coach Mike Zimmer had to say upon AP's return to the field yesterday:

"There's really not a prettier site than when he's got the ball in his hands."  

Football players exist in the public consciousness for reasons of playing football - and few do it quite as well as Peterson.  Even a stoic, football-lifer head like Mike Zimmer will show emotion when the subject moves from social issues back to the field of play.  

One translation of that glimmer from Zimmer is this Vikings team is going to be one to be reckoned with. Zimmer is a defensive coach first, so he intimately understands the challenge of containing a special talent like Adrian Peterson. As the leader of an organization, Zimmer understood the contractual realities of the situation of this special player - AP was never going to play anywhere but Minnesota, and the coach confirmed yesterday there were never any trade talks regarding Peterson.  

"We're ready to get back to football," Zimmer added.  

The AP Effect

The Vikings, as with all teams in the NFL, are built a particular way. The roster under salary cap restrictions is configured in a way to enhance and compliment the places where the most capital is spent. Adrian Peterson is the highest earner on the Minnesota roster, so the run game and the benefits of play-action are predictably core to this organization's plans. When you don't have that as your centerpiece, well, then you probably would've liked to have spent the money elsewhere.  

The Vikings' first encounter with the Detroit Lions this last season was only Teddy Bridgewater's second career start, but ended up attempting 37 passes, rarely turning to the running game in trailing situations where it still made sense to. Obviously, with the preferred offensive pieces in tow, this won't be the case this season. All of a sudden, the quarterback looks better as the game is played on different terms. 

Are the outcomes different? Who knows. But at least the games are played closer to the Vikings' intent when they built their roster. 

In Week 11, the Minnesota Vikings ended up facing one of the worst defenses in all of football at the time in the Chicago Bears. The Vikings fell to the Bears by a score of 21-13, but attempted only 16 runs with their rookie quarterback facing a defense that struggled to stop the run.  Sixteen. Would the outcomes be different? Again, who knows. But the Vikings will now have the arsenal to more aggressively take advantage of weaknesses when they present themselves.   

In Week 12, the Minnesota Vikings played a close game with the eventual NFC North champs, the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings ended up losing 24-21. However you want to slice it or dice it or peel it, the Vikings have to feel that with a full compliment of players, they've pulled closer to their rivals that they played quite closely even when handicapped as an offense.  

Granted, none of last year's games matter now, but in situations where you're looking for growth at positions across the offensive side of the ball it's an incredible offensive blessing to have Peterson back - and not only as it applies to young Teddy Bridgewater. Young wide receiver Jarius Wright's work in the intermediate routes won't feel quite as congested with defenses keying the line of scrimmage to stop AP.  Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson's upcoming "make or break year" just got a shot of life, because nothing helps a big-play wide receiver than a higher priority distraction for the defense to contend with.  Tight end Kyle Rudolph is looking to rebound after a low production year, and should see many more opportunities in the play action game that now becomes viable with a dangerous running attack. In a perfect world, new, speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace feasts off deep balls, a meal more easy to come by if the help elements of the defense aren't parked in the deep part of the field because of no run-pass conflict.     

One great thing about football is the affect that great play at one position can have on other players' performances - all the parts are interconnected.  When a player like AP returns, the coaches get happier and the other players find more opportunities as well. 

And the attention for everyone turns back to football, which is supposedly why we follow the sport to begin with...

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