Vikings’ Peterson Unhappy With Losing, Offensive Playcalling

Added on Sep 27, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

The Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson is on a short list of the best running backs in the NFL. For that reason, he’s not happy with the 0-3 start by his team this season which may or may not be due to a boneheaded offensive playcalling strategy. The Vikings led 20-0 over the Detroit Lions at halftime on Sunday but eventually lost the game after a second half collapse during which Peterson got only five carries.

He’s not happy, but he doesn’t have many answers. One thing for sure–Peterson is tired of losing:

“We have to take it personal. I’m tired of losing, especially going to halftime with these leads. I’m sure my comrades, they feel the same way.”

The Vikings have outscored their opponents 54-7 in the first half of their three games this season only to be outscored by a combined 67-6 in the second half. Peterson took the ‘high road’ and didn’t call out coaches or teammates but his father, Nelson Peterson, was less diplomatic:

“I see the agony on his face. He was frustrated that they weren’t going to him. He wanted to help them win the game. Five carries in the second half? That’s 2½ carries per quarter. He thought that, with a 20-0 lead, he was ready to lead them to a victory. He’s being a good sport about it, but he’s upset.”

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier had this head scratching comment about the second half playcalling and the need to involve Peterson in the outcome of games:

“I have to remind myself of this: Even if Adrian gets stopped for negative gain or two yards because they’ve got so many people at the line of scrimmage, he’s such a great player that even against eight-man fronts he can still make something happen. You can’t ever forget that.”

The Vikings will try again this week as they head to Kansas City to play another 0-3 team, the Chiefs. The Vikings are currently -1′ point NFL betting favorites with the total posted at 40. Most of the early money has come in on the Vikings and the Under, suggesting that the betting public thinks that Minnesota’s problems are much easier to cure than Kansas City’s.