Enter stage left: Peterson

As had been rumored/demanded/expected, Adrian Peterson made his debut starting at tailback. But the Eagles had seen that script, too.

Last update: October 28, 2007 - 8:24 PM

The Adrian Peterson Era officially began Sunday at the Metrodome. Peterson ascended to the feature position of the Vikings offense, starting at tailback and taking the majority of snaps in a 23-16 loss to Philadelphia.

Former starter Chester Taylor, meanwhile, played mostly on third downs and in obvious passing situations. Unofficially, Peterson played on 62 percent of the Vikings' plays, while Taylor was in for the other 38 percent; the pair had no plays together on the field.

Peterson got 20 carries but managed only 70 yards against a stiff Eagles defense, while Taylor rushed six times for 19 yards and caught one pass for 18 yards.

Peterson's role as a part-time player erupted into national discussion after he got only 12 carries Oct. 21 in a 24-14 loss to Dallas. Former coaches Mike Ditka and Bill Parcells joined the chorus of critics who suggested that the NFL's leading rusher should at least lead his own team in playing time.

Coach Brad Childress apparently concurred, and on Sunday said, "We just thought we needed to get the touches to [Peterson] and at least increase that load."

The Eagles, however, appeared to be thinking along with Childress and stacked their defense accordingly.

"They were very aggressive on the line of scrimmage," Peterson said. "They had a lot of guys in the box. They did a good job."

Taylor, meanwhile, has in essence lost the starting job he gained when the Vikings signed him to a four-year, $14.4 million contract in March 2006. He made it clear that he holds no grudge toward Peterson but acknowledged: "I thought it was going to be more of rotation [Sunday] than it was."This is a competitive sport. This is football," he added. "They bring in somebody, and you compete with them. I love to compete. We'll keep competing with each other. We're both on the same team, and when it comes down to it, we both want to win."

KEVIN SEIFERT