Vikings: Bum hamstring puts Smith's status in doubt

Vikings safety Dwight Smith has been trying to play for five weeks on a bum hamstring, but it might have caught up to him Thursday. Smith sat out practice and could miss Sunday's game at Dallas, a rare concession for a player who has missed only three games in his seven-year career.

Smith suffered the injury Sept. 16 at Detroit and has been limited ever since. The injury showed only modest improvement after the Vikings' Oct. 7 bye, and he was involved in coverage on both of Chicago's fourth-quarter touchdown drives in last Sunday's 34-31 victory.

Smith missed a tackle on Muhsin Muhammad's 33-yard touchdown reception and simply lost a footrace with Devin Hester on an 81-yard pass play. Smith insisted afterward that the hamstring had not limited him on either play, but film study might have shown otherwise.

Coach Brad Childress did not rule out Smith for the Cowboys game but said: "He's been fooling with it for about five weeks, so it's just something where it's more prudent for him to treat right now than to practice."

Veteran Tank Williams has been the first safety off the bench during games this season. Childress stopped short of naming Williams as Smith's replacement, saying that Mike Doss also worked at Smith's position during practice Thursday.

Déjà vu

It has been well-established that Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson is returning to play in his home state of Texas this weekend. It isn't, however, the first time Peterson has gone home to play.

In the 2004 Texas-Oklahoma game, played in the Cotton Bowl, Peterson carried 32 times for 225 yards. The Sooners won 12-0 in a game Peterson called "one of" his best.

Did that performance indicate his motivation level to play at home?

"I was definitely excited to go back to Texas and play," Peterson said. "But I just ended up having a good game. The offensive line created some holes for me and I just had a good day."

Etc.

• Peterson on whether he thinks about the six teams that passed on him in the draft: "I really don't think about that, but they probably do."

• Running back Naufahu Tahi (knee) sat out practice again, increasing the odds that Mewelde Moore will be active for only the third time this season. If he is in uniform Sunday, however, Moore likely will be asked to fill Tahi's role on some coverage teams.

• Defensive end Erasmus James, who made his 2007 debut against the Bears, "is not quite where we'd like for him to be," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. But it appears James will be in uniform Sunday.

"We hope with another week under his belt," Frazier said, "he will get closer and closer to where we want him to be."

• The Vikings waived running back Wendell Mathis off injured reserve by paying him an injury settlement.

Kevin Seifert • kseifert@startribune.com