PETERSON READY FOR HIS RETURN SUNDAY
minneapolis» Adrian Peterson has always called himself a quick healer. Now he says he is ready to come back from his latest knee surgery even sooner than he originally thought.
Peterson told Dash Radio on Friday that he plans to return to the Vikings’ backfield Sunday against the Colts. His surprise announcement came four days after he reiterated that he was targeting the game at Green Bay on Dec. 24 as his first game back after having surgery to repair torn meniscus in his right knee.
“It really boils down to how I feel,” Peterson told the internet radio station, of which he is an investor. “What it really came down to me in my heart knowing, especially after these past two days, is that I can be productive.”
Peterson practiced Wednesday for the first time since he was injured in Week 2 against the Packers. He practiced again Thursday and Friday and wasn’t listed on the Vikings’ injury report, further evidence that he is fully healthy.
Peterson said he spoke to Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman and Peterson’s wife as he contemplated making the return one week sooner than he initially expected.
“We just have to make sure everything is good with the doctors and everything going forward, that’s all,” Zimmer said after the team’s practice Friday.
Ratings rebound after election.
NFL television ratings, which have been down significantly this season, have improved slightly since the U.S. presidential election.
While viewership was down 10 percent overall through the first 14 weeks of the season compared with that time span in 2015, it is four percentage points better than the collective telecasts were down a little more than a month ago.
“It’s an encouraging rebound,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “It proves the election was certainly a factor.”
For the first nine weeks of the season, NFL games averaged 15.5 million viewers. That was down 14 percent compared with 2015. But after the Nov. 8 presidential election, which occurred two days before the start of the league’s Week 10, viewership has increased. NFL games averaged 18.1 million viewers during Weeks 10-14, off only 2 percent compared with those weeks in 2015.
League looking into use of radios B
east rutherford, n.j.» The Giants said they are cooperating with the NFL’s investigation into whether they illegally used walkie-talkies in Sunday’s 10-7 home victory over the Cowboys.
The league is looking into coach Ben McAdoo’s use of the two-way radio in the fourth quarter when the Giants’ coach-to-quarterback headset communication system wasn’t working properly.
Coaches aren’t allowed to hold any two-way radios during a game. A backup quarterback is allowed to hold one during games, but Giants second-stringer Ryan Nassib said he doesn’t do that.
Footnotes. Jets running back Matt Forte is questionable to play and will be a game-time decision against the Dolphins on Saturday night with a knee injury. … Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston is questionable against Tennessee with soreness in his left knee, which he had surgically repaired in February. … Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was ruled out against Tampa Bay with a back issue that limited him to a season-low 13 snaps last week. … Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns will miss his third consecutive game because of a hamstring injury.