The Vikings had no choice but to be aggressive in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Broncos. Down 10, Minnesota went for it on fourth-and-1, and Adrian Peterson delivered a 48-yard touchdown run.
From Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press:
*The Broncos and their No. 1-ranked defense stymied the always-dangerous running back, holding him to 28 yards on 10 first-half carries. Famine, famine, feast is Peterson's mantra, and the Vikings' offensive line overturned the buffet table on a crucial fourth-and-inches play at midfield early in the fourth quarter.
*
Bursting through a ****gaping hole*** at the line, Peterson raced 48 yards untouched for a touchdown that give Minnesota a pulse though Denver ultimately prevailed 23-20. *
"(It) spread like the Red Sea; it just opened up," said Peterson. "I think [Denver safety Darian Stewart], maybe, he was right in the middle of the field and was already pursuing, so I just had to cut. He turned his hips, but it was too late. I was already gone."
Couple of plays away
Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune noted Teddy Bridgewater's **deliberations** in the Spartan environment of the visitor's locker room.
*A postgame visiting locker room is a place from which to escape quickly, but after the Vikings lost to Denver 23-20, Teddy Bridgewater lingered. He sat at his locker quietly while his teammates showered. He moved to the locker adjacent to receiver Mike Wallace, and talked at length, spending most of the conversation nodding. *
*He was among the last Vikings to dress, and was the last to speak, measuring his words in carefully prepared clichés to avoid offending teammates or drawing attention to himself. *
*Did he take more time than usual marinating in this loss? Did this one hurt more than most?
*
"Definitely,'' the second-year quarterback said. "We were in this game, we had an opportunity to win it. We were a couple of plays away from winning it. This is one of those games where we had to be perfect. We know that we're going to be in another game like this at some point this year and we're going to make sure we come out on top.''
Growing confidence
NFL.com's Dan Hanzus wrote that Bridgewater held his ground despite a constant surge by Denver's top-ranked defense. Hanzus wrote:
Consider this another ****great learning experience*** for Bridgewater, even if it didn't turn out his way. The second-year quarterback was far from perfect and often under siege in hostile territory, but he never seemed overwhelmed by the moment. It didn't end well, but Bridgewater still inspires confidence.*
