EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Vikings Quarterback Kyle Rudolph said the return of Adrian Peterson to the practice field, albeit for a walk-through Wednesday morning, provided a "definite lift" for teammates.
"Obviously, it was great to see him out here in the walkthrough today," Bradford said. "I think he's just one of those guys. He has been a leader on this team. Obviously, he's one of the best players in this league, and he has been for quite some time. So, I think just having him back out at practice in the huddle, I think it's a definite lift to our guys.
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer deferred weighing in on how big a lift it was because the Vikings hadn't had a full practice before Zimmer's session with reporters.
Peterson was "designated for return" from Minnesota's injured reserve list, where he's been since suffering a torn meniscus in Week 2 against Green Bay.
The Vikings have a 21-day window to evaluate whether they place him on the active roster.
Asked if Peterson could return to action, Zimmer said, "I don't know. We'll see."
The Vikings finished fourth in the NFL in rush yards in 2015 when Peterson earned his third rushing title. This year, however, the offense has evolved as the season has progressed with Sam Bradford stepping in for injured Stefon Diggs and Interim Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur being promoted after Norv Turner's resignation.
Zimmer also was asked about working Peterson back into the offense.
"Well right now, we're not going to worry about those things," Zimmer said. "When the time comes, we'll talk about the things he does.
"It's like when any player comes back. You try to figure out what they do well and how you can fit it into the system and things you need to change," Zimmer said. "It's like last week when Anthony Harris played for Harrison (Smith). He can't do the same things Harrison Smith can do, but other ways that we can use him. It's really the same."
Bradford also was asked about Peterson's possible reintegration or influence on the offense.
"Obviously, it's a little bit different than the first couple weeks of the season, but Adrian's a great player," Bradford said. "And I'm sure he'll be able to adjust, but also, probably just finding things that, obviously, he's comfortable with, runs that he likes that they've had success with in the past. So, probably a good balance of things that this offense has done with Adrian, and obviously, some of the things that we've incorporated without him."
Here are two other topics addressed by Bradford and two more by Zimmer:
Words of thanks
Bradford was not sacked in Jacksonville, and the press box statisticians only tracked two hits of the quarterback. He said he was impressed by the Vikings offensive line after the game and again on Wednesday.
"Those guys played great last week. They went out there and they just blocked their butts off, both in the run game and in the pass game," Bradford said. "I thought they did a great job, and I couldn't be more proud of those guys. Obviously, last week, when [Brandon] Fusco goes down and [Zac] Kerin comes in and steps up, plays really well. Those guys did a great job last week, and look for them to do the same this week."
Finishing like the start?
The Vikings started 5-0 on the year and were the league's last unbeaten team coming out of their Week 6 bye. Minnesota, however, has lost six of its past eight games.
Bradford said he believes the Vikings can be successful down the stretch. Minnesota needs to win its final three games to have a shot at the division or give itself the best chance for a Wild Card spot.
"I think, obviously, we went through a stretch there where it was tough, and we lost some games, but I think if you look at last week and the way we came out, the way we played on the road, I think that's the type of football we know we can play," Bradford said. "We started out the season hot. We won five in a row. We still believe that we're still that same team, and we're just looking to build off what we did last week and try to start a streak like we had early in the year.
Tough Luck
Zimmer's toughness is one attribute for which he's most commonly praised.
He sees a similar attribute in Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who has taken 37 sacks this season. Luck also carried the ball 56 times for 304 yards. Zimmer said Luck can beat opponents with his legs and strong arm.
"He's tough as heck," Zimmer said. "He runs really good. He's the second leading rusher on the team. He makes every throw. He moves in the pocket well. I tell our guys when they think they've got the guy covered they don't because he can throw it anywhere and any place."
Zimmer later added that he's been impressed by Bradford's toughness as well, but he wants to reduce the number of times that Bradford shows it by decreasing hits on the quarterback.
Plenty to worry about
Zimmer also said the Vikings have multiple other offensive weapons to worry about, including 12-year veteran running back Frank Gore, who ranks eighth in NFL history with 12,830 yards.
"Frank Gore is a terrific back. They've got tremendous skill, speed with [Donte] Moncrief and (T.Y.) Hilton obviously. They've got great speed," Zimmer said. "They've got two decent tight ends. One's a second leading receiver [Jack Doyle]."
Hilton leads the Colts with 78 catches for 1,203 yards. He and Moncrief each have six touchdown catches. Doyle has 48 receptions for 496 yards and four scores.
