Peterson, brace and all, seems ready to take field

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson expressed confidence Thursday that he will be able to return Sunday after missing the past two games because of a knee injury.

"Right now I feel like I will be able to go out and play," said Peterson, who suffered a partially torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee Nov. 11 at Green Bay. "I am just going to continue to take it one day at a time and see how it feels during practice and after practice and I will have to be able to make that decision this weekend."

Peterson, who continues to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,081 yards, will wear a brace on his knee for the rest of the season. It has taken him some time to adjust to the brace, and coach Brad Childress said the rookie "fiddles" with it continuously in practice whenever there is a break.

"It really took me, I would say, like a good week just to really get used to [the brace]," said Peterson, who did limited work in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. "It was kind of stiff at first but I really have worked into it. The brace is starting to mold over my leg and my knee so I am feeling more comfortable with it."

As for concerns that the Vikings might be moving too fast in bringing back Peterson, Childress said that not only did the rookie have a follow-up MRI with team doctors this week, but noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews also evaluated it again.

Peterson, who is expected to share carries with Chester Taylor on Sunday against Detroit, said he is gaining confidence by practicing. "When I am out here practicing, I am going to look at it like it's a game as far as going full speed, cutting," he said. "I am going to try everything out to see how it feels so that is the best I can do."

Receiver Troy Williamson did not practice Thursday after experiencing headaches when he took part in a portion of Wednesday's session. He suffered his second concussion in two seasons while returning a kickoff against the Giants on Sunday.

Meanwhile, cornerback Antoine Winfield (hamstring), who has missed three of four games, did limited work for the second day in a row. "He's going to have to get on at full speed before we get to the game," Childress said. Winfield's status likely will be determined Sunday. Safety Tank Williams (knee) missed practice for the second consecutive day.

With more than 2,000 tickets still remaining, the Vikings received a 25-hour extension to avoid a local television blackout of Sunday's game. That means the team has until 1 p.m. today to reach a sellout; the original deadline was noon Thursday.

The Vikings were working Thursday to get corporate assistance in selling the remaining tickets. Officially, a sellout at the Metrodome is 62,000 tickets sold. The Vikings have not had a local television blackout since the final game of the 1997 season.

Sunday's game is scheduled to be telecast by Fox-owned KMSP (Ch. 9).

Peterson continues to lead NFL running backs and is sixth overall in fan balloting for the Pro Bowl, having received 457,426 votes. The Vikings' Tony Richardson is the leader among fullbacks with 117,596 votes.

The 43-man rosters that make up the NFC and AFC Pro Bowl teams are determined by votes from fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third toward determining the squads. The teams will be announced Dec. 18; the game will be Feb. 10 in Honolulu.

• Defensive end Kenechi Udeze returned to the Vikings on Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice so he could be with his wife, Terrica, who gave birth to a girl.

• Center Matt Birk has been named Vikings community man of the year for the sixth consecutive year.