Peterson drama kicks off Monday
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (TSN)
The overriding storyline to the first Monday game of the year is the return of Adrian Peterson playing against Minnesota. Think it’s a coincidence NFL schedule makers put this game? Of course not.
Peterson spent the first 10 years of his spectacular NFL career in Minnesota before the club made him a cap casualty cut in late February. Weeks later, he signed with the Saints.
“This game isn’t about Adrian Peterson,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said. “It’s about the Vikings and the Saints. They’ve got a lot of great offensive weapons and he’s a great player, but this game isn’t about Adrian Peterson.”
But coach, don’t you think Peterson, who ranks 16th in NFL career rushing yards (11,747) and 10th in rushing TDs (97), will play with a chip on his shoulder?
“I hope we have a chip on our shoulder,” Zimmer replied.
The Vikings would prefer to talk about Peterson’s successor, touted rookie Dalvin Cook, the 41st overall draft pick who left Florida State as the university’s career rushing-yards leader (4,464).
With Peterson injured most of the season, the Vikings finished last in the league in rushing, averaging just 75 yards a game. Cook, it is hoped, can change that immediately.
“He’s a positive, confident person,” Zimmer said.
“He likes to go around and high-five the (offence), so he’s got a little energy that way. But he’s been quiet like he said he was going to be.”
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT DENVER BRONCOS (TSN)
If the Chargers are to win their first game for Los Angeles since 1961, they’ll have to beat the Broncos in Denver.
The Broncos not only own the top mark in the NFL in home openers — 43-13-1 (.768) — they’ve won 23 of their last 26.
This game features two head coaches in their first games at the NFL level, if you discount Anthony Lynn’s season finale on Jan. 1 as interim boss of the Buffalo Bills.
Lynn has Chargers QB Philip Rivers and a potentially high-powered offence. Vance Joseph counters with the NFL’s best pass defence of 2016.
Trevor Siemian is the Broncos’ starting quarterback again. He was the raw second-year guy a year ago who had surprising ups early on, then after the run game disappeared, some ugly growing pains too. He is a team captain.
“It says a lot about what his teammates think about him,” Broncos offensive co-ordinator Mike McCoy said. “Through the off-season, he didn’t skip a beat.”