Give the ball to Peterson 'All Day'

If it's possible to overlook one of the best running backs in the NFL, one could present the Vikings circa 2009 as exhibit A.

With all of the Brett Favre hoopla, and the obvious transition of offenses around the league to emphasize the passing game, Peterson took a backseat to Favre in the passing game.

He still ran for a quiet (quiet?) 1,383 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.

Thursday night, Peterson was front and center, for a while — Favre was the sidekick.

He finished with 87 yards on 19 carries, but the night could've been much more spectacular than that. The Vikings went away from the ground game in the second half and only had 55 second-half yards on five drives, and five punts.

It was clear in the beginning, though, it was Peterson's ball to carry. When the Vikings got the ball, instead of letting Favre air-it-out, Brad Childress called for three straight running plays to start the game. And if it weren't for a missed block by Naufahu Tahi, Peterson might've converted that first down on that first drive.

In the beginning, it was "All Day's" show, as his nickname implies. He was back to his old form. It seemed that he would get frustrated at times last year when the Vikings would throw the ball so much, especially in succession. Minnesota might've not given its workhorse running back enough carries to get him into a groove of the game. Maybe you could blame the offensive line for Peterson's ineffectiveness at times, but the same unit returns in 2010. And Peterson looked good on Thursday night. Last year, he was labeled with the reputation that his game is feast or famine — short runs the majority of the time with a long play sprinkled in.

He was back to what we saw B.F., otherwise known as "Before Favre." Peterson was knifing through the New Orleans defense like it was a stick of butter. Legs chugging and churning, he routinely kept plays going and ran with a purpose. He ran violent. That's the AP we know and love.

Without Sidney Rice and with the departure of Chester Taylor, Favre lost a few quality options in the passing game, especially on third down. Peterson is going to be expected to play a lot, but can he play at a high level and stay on the field all game?

And when Peterson came out of the game to catch his breath, Albert Young didn't show he could match what Taylor did as AP's backup. But he did show he could be an average third-down back: he caught passes and ran until he got hit.

Peterson is better than average. The struggle this year, at least until Sidney comes back, is going to be whether Peterson can play at a high level for many more plays than he had to with Taylor around. With Taylor, the Vikings had a backup who excelled in areas that Peterson maybe hadn't mastered yet. Taylor had that slipperiness that made him hard to tackle when he maneuvered between the tackles or caught a pass. If Peterson runs like he did against the Saints, Taylor's loss won't hurt as much. But he needs to be consistent and perform week in and week out.

It would help him get into a groove if the Vikings gave him the ball early and often to start each half, like Thursday night.

The only thing that could slow Peterson down was Brad Childress. After the first drive to start the second half, Peterson had just three carries the rest of the game. There was plenty of time to run the ball and overcome the five-point Saints' lead. The Vikings decided to throw it and that ended with zero second half points.

Don't get me wrong, what Favre did in 2009 was nothing short of amazing, but without Rice and with Favre in his 20th season, the smart thing in 2010 might be to rely on Peterson again. Back before Favre, that's the only option Minnesota had. Favre can still have his shots in the passing game, but Peterson should carry the Vikings.

Minnesota started the second quarter with a long 9:25 minute drive that ended in a field goal. It included 33 rushing yards from Peterson on six carries. Controlling the ball and the clock was key in keeping the Saints offense out of rhythm, at least for a while.

The offense stalled Thursday night when Minnesota turned to Favre for long periods of time. That may be a small sample size, but with the way Peterson was running, he could've kept the ball away from Drew Brees and potentially marched the ball down the field.

A balanced attack is important, but the Vikings need to commit to the run and to Peterson.