Adrian Peterson’s record of super-human healing continues. The 2012 NFL MVP will return to the Minnesota Vikings’ lineup on Sunday, 13 weeks after suffering a torn meniscus in a Week 2 victory over the Packers.
Adrian Peterson will return from injury to face the Colts
Peterson is back for the playoff push.
The Tennessean-USA TODAY Sports
Peterson will boost the league’s worst rushing attack. The Vikings gained fewer than 75 yards per game without their superstar -- by far the worst mark in the NFL.
But the dangerous tailback may not be the cure for Minnesota’s woes. At 31 years old, he was already one of the league’s oldest starting running backs. He was ineffective in his two games early in the season, carrying the ball 31 times for just 50 yards. His 1.6 yards per carry average is more than 3 yards below his career average.
The Vikings and Colts will both need a win on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Even if his ability to gain yards and gash defenses like the old days is in question, Peterson’s ability to get back on the field after trauma is not. The general timeline for recovering from the injury is three to four months.
Peterson rehabbed the injury by using an underwater treadmill that kept his body weight off the bad knee until after Thanksgiving. The water helped him slowly adjust to the strain of his 220-pound frame until he was strong enough to get back on the field and start making cuts.
Now, the Vikings are hoping he’s healthy enough to return to the form that made him one of the NFL’s scariest offensive threats over the past decade.
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