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Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
A 95-percent Peterson says last 5 percent will be `like night and day'
Posted by: Mark Craig under NFC, Adrian Peterson Updated: September 13, 2012 - 12:56 PM
Since Sunday, we've learned that whatever Adrian Peterson says is pretty much EXACTLY how it is. For eight months, he said he'd play in the season opener and eventually be back as good if not better than he as he was before. Then he carried the ball 17 times for 84 yards (4.9) and two touchdowns in Sunday's 26-23 season-opening win over the Jaguars.
So the assumption now would be that Peterson has not only met his goal of playing in the opener, but has also met his goal of being as good if not better than he was before.
Peterson says that's wrong. He says he's "95 percent" of what he was before.
This is where it would be unwise to doubt Peterson. He says the other five percent is "just being more explosive with my strength.
"It don't sound like much from the outside looking in, but I know my game and I know where I want to be," Peterson said. "And it's going to be huge once I get 100 percent. Like night and day. Seriously. I'm just keeping that in mind. I'm excited just to continue to strengthen this leg and do what I need to do to get there and push to be 100 percent. So I really can go out and perform the way I want to."
At this point, with his history, do we have any choice but to believe him?
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