In the Vikings' 34-31 victory at Chicago on Oct. 14, Adrian Peterson rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns.

Asked what he recalled about that game, the first-round draft choice said, "I remember just leading up to the game, I was really detailing everything we practiced, and really being sharp and really just seeing the same thing on Sunday."

The Bears (5-8) are not the same team they were a season ago, when they won the NFC title. A number of defensive players have been sidelined by injuries, and they will start their third quarterback this season Monday against the Vikings.

The big question is what Chicago learned from last week's game, when Peterson ran for only 3 yards on 14 carries at San Francisco. No doubt the Bears will do a lot of things the 49ers did, and they are a much better team than San Francisco.

Peterson will play his first NFL prime-time game. He will try to avoid having another game like last week, which he called the worst of his life. "But I learned a lot from that game. I took a lot away from it," he said.

While the Vikings were able to rush 43 times for 311 yards in that Week 6 victory, Tarvaris Jackson went only 9-for-23 for 136 yards and one TD. If Peterson fails to put on another great show, Jackson will have to play a lot better than he did the first time he saw the Bears this season.

Not sold on Peterson When asked where Peterson ranks among the best backs he has faced, Chicago defensive end Alex Brown told the Chicago Tribune: "He is not like Marshall Faulk, he is not like Shaun Alexander, not like that. He's good, really good, but you can't base stuff on one year. In a couple of years, when I play him again, I'll put him in a category like that, but not now."

Kyle Orton, who will start at quarterback Monday, last played for Chicago on New Year's Day 2006, when he started at the Metrodome in the final game of 2005. In that game, Orton was sacked three times and was 6-for-14 passing for 54 yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter with the Bears down 24 points. The Vikings won 5-10, but after the game coach Mike Tice was fired despite a 9-7 record.

Won't give up Hughes Twins General Manager Bill Smith said he was told by Yankee GM Brian Cashman that when lefthander Andy Pettitte decided not to retire and instead pitch in 2008, New York lost interest in trading for Johan Santana.

Well, my Yankees sources tell me that they are not going to give up pitcher Phil Hughes in any deal. Cashman doesn't want to give up Hughes, who nearly pitched a no-hitter last year against Texas before having to leave because of an injury.

But no doubt the Yankees don't want the Red Sox to get Santana, so there always is a chance they change their minds.

Mike Lamb, the free-agent third baseman signed by the Twins, was originally drafted in the 31st round by the Twins in 1996 as a junior out of California State-Fullerton, but he didn't sign. He then signed with Houston when drafted in the seventh round the following year.

Pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, who recently signed a one-year contract with the Yankees for $3.75 million, will be joining his fifth team since leaving the Twins as a free agent following the 2003 season. Since then he has been with the Cubs, San Francisco, Baltimore and Colorado, where he was 2-5 with a 3.42 ERA for the NL champions this year.

Mason wants to coach Former Gophers football coach Glen Mason said he enjoyed working with the Big Ten Network this past season but still wants to coach.

"I didn't have any problems to solve, and it was kind of boring," he said. Mason said he didn't go looking for a job, feeling that people knew he was available.

Mason did a good enough job with the new television station that he no doubt can come back to the Big Ten Network next year if he so chooses.

Looking back, I agree with the man that had running back Gary Russell not been ruled academically ineligible and safety Brandon Owens not got hurt, he still would be coaching the Gophers.

Jottings The Gophers football team can sign a total of 30 players this year instead of the normal 25, and they have 24 commitments already. The rules allow the Gophers to sign three junior college transfers who can count toward last year's class plus than bring in two others to account for players who don't qualify.

David Pittman, the Pasadena (Calif.) City College quarterback who recently announced he would play for the Gophers, completed 303 of 453 passes the past year for 35 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions and rushed 97 times for 572 yards (5.9 yards per carry). The Gophers could wind up with four new quarterbacks, as they are still recruiting Indianapolis' MarQueis Gray; however, Ryan Grant of Eden Prairie is scheduled to play defense and Pittman, ranked by Rivals.com as the 26th-best junior college prospect in the country, said he doesn't care where he plays. John Nance of Cretin-Derham Hall also is headed for Minnesota. ... The Gophers lost one commitment when Padric Scott, a defensive lineman from Tallahassee, Fla., changed his mind.

Northern Illinois, the Gophers' opening opponent here next fall, has hired a new coach in Jerry Kill, the former Southern Illinois coach. Northern Illinois had two sons of former Gophers basketball player Gary (Cookie) Holmes on its roster this year, sophomore offensive lineman Tony and freshman wide receiver Nico.

Thirteen Ohio State juniors, including All-America linebacker James Laurinaitis of Wayzata, have filled out NFL paperwork that will make them eligible for the 2008 draft if they chose to end their college career after the national championship game.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on his Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. shartman@startribune.com