It will be a bad homecoming for Keenum and Peterson
Two prominent figures in Vikings history will make a homecoming on Thursday night, but the odds are that neither of them are going to have a warm welcome at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The highest-profile return will belong to quarterback Case Keenum, who chucked up the pass that resulted in the Minneapolis Miracle. With Minnesota opting not to bring him back after the 2017 season and signing Kirk Cousins instead, the comparisons have been rampant over the past couple years and many will have their eyes to see if he can stick it to his former employer.
Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson will somehow make a less-heralded return to the Twin Cities as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. Although his 11,747 rushing yards certainly deserves a spot in Minnesota’s history, his off-the-field transgressions and his messy divorce from the team after the 2016 season have tarnished his place in the minds of Vikings fans.
With both coming back, it’s possible that both could be treated with a rude welcome. Keenum has been benched twice since leaving Minnesota, including once this season, while Peterson is currently nursing two sprained ankles.
With the Vikings defense allowing just 15.3 points per game in three home matchups this season, there’s a good chance that Washington’s reeling offense could be walking into a blood bath.