Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will line up next to second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in a regular season game for the first time on Monday against the San Francisco 49ers. Peterson missed all but one game last season due to off-field troubles, and Bridgewater, then a rookie, was the driving force behind the team's offense.
Vikings vs. 49ers 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Adrian Peterson is the player to watch when the Minnesota Vikings take on the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.
The Vikings have high expectations out of Bridgewater this season, but even if Peterson doesn’t come back at full strength, his presence on the field completely changes the way opposing defenses approach the game. Peterson is getting up there in years, and he’s certainly expected to be rusty after missing nearly a full season, but given his workload over the past several seasons, some time away might actually do him some good in the long run.
Whatever the case, Peterson will have his work cut out for him. The 49ers have all kinds of question marks after one of the worst offseasons in NFL history, but one of the things they should be able to do this season is put up a strong defensive front and stop the run.
Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are gone, but a defensive line featuring Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Ian Williams and first-round pick Arik Armstead, backed by linebacker NaVorro Bowman, should be a force to be reckoned with. However, after those guys, and outside linebackers Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks, the 49ers have some serious issues at cornerback.
Bridgewater looked good last season, but if he wants to hit the ground running (figuratively speaking), then he'll test San Francisco's secondary early and often. Tramaine Brock is one of the starting cornerbacks, and he missed most of last season with a hamstring injury. The other starting cornerback, as well as the nickelback, is totally unknown at this stage. New head coach Jim Tomsula isn't saying who it will be, but none of Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser, Kenneth Acker or Shareece Wright inspire much confidence.
For the 49ers, they'll likely go all-in trying to get to Peterson, but for the Vikings, they'll be 100 percent going after Colin Kaepernick. San Francisco's offensive line saw both Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis depart this offseason, as the former left in free agency and the latter retired. So they moved Alex Boone over to the left side, which created a pairing of Boone and Joe Staley, which is absolutely solid.
But after that, things get ugly. At right guard, the 49ers have Jordan Devey, a player who was awful for the New England Patriots last season, and Erik Pears, a player who was awful for the Buffalo Bills last season. The right side of San Francisco's line will probably be a disaster, and it's up to the Vikings to exploit it by sending the pressure to that side and directing their run stoppers to the left side, because the 49ers will certainly try and send Carlos Hyde up behind Boone and Staley.
How to watch:
When: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
TV: ESPN
Commentators: Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer, Lindsay Czarniak
Online: Verizon NFL Mobile, WatchESPN
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