The return of Adrian Peterson to the Vikings lineup didn't play out as envisioned in a 20-3 loss at the 49ers Monday night. Neither did San Francisco's success with their own No. 28, running back Carlos Hyde, who rushed 26 times for 168 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 17 yards.
Mark Craig and Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune addressed Peterson's night and Hyde's successes, respectively.
Peterson was limited to 10 carries for 31 yards and caught three passes for 21 yards.
The nine-year veteran, however, maintained perspective that it's just one segment of a 16-game season. He said "redemption" will be on the minds of Vikings players when they return to action by hosting Detroit Sunday.
"You have to come back better than you were before," Craig quoted Peterson. "Thank God it's Week 1 and it's only one game. We have a divisional game coming up Sunday. We need to come out and take care of business."
*On Sunday, Peterson will play his first game at TCF Bank Stadium. He missed all the home games last season and didn't play in the 2010 game that was played there when the Metrodome roof collapsed. *
"It's going to be exciting coming out of the tunnel for the first time and be on that field for the first time," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Vensel, meanwhile, looked at how San Francisco was able to keep feeding Hyde the rock.
With a heavy emphasis on handing the ball to Hyde on stretch running plays, the 49ers were able to run at will on their opening drive. And they moved deep into Vikings territory by mixing in play-action passes from mobile quarterback Colin Kaepernick. A holding penalty in the red zone, though, torpedoed the 49ers drive.
"Terrible. They were getting five or six yards a pop," Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. "If you can't stop the run, you can't do much."
Not complaining about no call
Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press took note of a near miss in the second quarter on a deep pass intended for Mike Wallace by Teddy Bridgewater.
One play after Peterson toted multiple defenders several yards for a 17-yard catch and run, the Vikings tried to hit the speedy offseason acquisition down the middle of the field. Tomasson wrote:
*With no score in the game against San Francisco at Levi's Stadium, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw deep down the middle from the 49ers 46 and into the end zone for Wallace. It looked as if Wallace might have a shot at a big touchdown before Antoine Bethea knocked both he and the ball down. *
*Was it pass interference? *
"Yeah, but that's not the thing that made us lose the game,'' Wallace said after the 20-3 loss. "It could have gone either way. It's one play. … Bethea's a veteran player, and he made a good play. I don't care about it. The refs didn't call it. … I'm not the kind of guy that cries about a referee's call.''
