Dec 10, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28 runs the ball during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Good
- Feed the beast. An angry Adrian Peterson is good for everyone involved. When he’s mad and carrying the ball, he seems to fumble less and be more willing to initiate contact instead to avoid it. Plus, when Peterson runs the ball well, it makes things easier on Teddy Bridgewater.
- Next man up. Hard to believe that this high-powered Cardinals offense is struggling against a make-shift Minnesota Vikings secondary. With so many starters out of the game and new faces starting in weird places, I fully expected the Vikings defense to be exploited early and often, but that wasn’t the case.
- Toughness. I couldn’t believe seeing Xavier Rhodes wrap up his hand and head right back into the game. With so many players out in the secondary, Rhodes would have been a massive loss. Luckily, he seems to have a high pain tolerance. Sadly, that wrapped hand doesn’t make it easy to intercept passes.
- Teddy’s focus. Aside from a couple throws that were outside, we saw a quarterback playing with a lot of passion. This is a guy who wants to win and show that he’s a guy that can help the powerful run game. People are knocking him for the fumble at the end, but with protection that doesn’t happen.
- A moral victory. Yes, there’s such a thing. NOBODY was expecting the Minnesota Vikings to hang with the Cardinals. The offense showed they can be effective when given time. The defense played with practice squad and recent free agent pickups and only allowed 23 points. They should be proud of themselves.
Next: The Bad