It seems like Adrian Peterson just left and now he’s coming back. The Minnesota Vikings all-time leading rusher, who was not signed after an injury-filled last season, will lead his current team, the New Orleans Saints, into the Twin Cities for the first Monday Night Football matchup of the year. The Vikings wanted to improve their ground game so why not let a man with over 11,700 yards walk. The Saints are glad to have him and AP is eager to show he still has something left when the teams meet in Week 1.
Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Monday, September 11, 2017 at 7:10 p.m. ET. This duel from U.S. Bank Stadium will be televised on ESPN.
NFL Week 1 Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
New Orleans Saints +3.5
Minnesota Vikings -3.5
Over/Under 47.5
Adrian Peterson vs. His Nerves
For the first time in his career Peterson will be playing for a team other than the Vikings, and it just so happens that his Saints open the slate in Minnesota. It’s easy to see why the Vikings didn’t resign him. He is 32 years old and has a lot of miles on him. Running backs in the league usually wear down and flame out by this time in their career.
Peterson gave the Vikings everything he had after being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft. He rushed for 1,341 yards and broke the NFL single-game rushing record on his way to earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He led the league in rushing three times during his stay with the Vikings and compiled 11,747 yards.
In 2012, AP ran for over 2,097 yards finishing eight yards shy of tying the league mark for most in a season. More remarkable is that he started the season eight months after having surgery on his knee for an ACL and MCL tear. Peterson played just three games last season and his injuries have healed, leaving him to say he feels as fresh as Year 1 heading into the opener.
Pat Shurmur vs. Dennis Allen
Minnesota’s offense had its limitations last season while the Saints’ struggles on the defensive side led to a third straight 7-9 season. Shurmur took control of the Vikings offense last November after Norv Turner resigned and stuck to the basics. Not much was different after the switch and the personnel up front was lacking.
The Vikings had a full off season to work on new schemes and Shurmur infused a West Coast look to the offense. The club also solidified the offensive line with free agent tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers and drafting center Pat Elflein. New backs Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook are well-suited for the offense.
If the Saints could play some defense they’d be a scary team. We all know about Drew Brees and the offensive exploits, but the Saints have been one of the worst in terms of yards and points allowed per game over the past three years. For the third straight year they used a first round pick on a defensive player, taking cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Injuries have hurt, but the depth appears to be in place now for a better showing.
Drew Brees vs. Vikings Secondary
At 38 years of age Brees is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, he had one of his finest seasons statistically in 2016, throwing for 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns for the NFL’s leader in total yards per game.
Brees and Sean Payton are joined at the hip with both coming to the Big Easy in 2006. Since then the Saints have led the NFL in total offense six times and finished in the top four in all but one season. Brees has averaged 309 yards per game during his Saints career throwing for a total of 53,763 yards with 385 touchdown passes.
His ability to read defenses, release the ball quickly and throw with impeccable accuracy has allowed Brees to overcome his lack of prototypical QB traits. Few defenses have been able to slow him down and none have stopped him. The Vikings have a stout defense, but the weakness is in the backend. If the front can’t pressure Brees, he could have a big night.
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