Peterson's prediction fueled Chargers' second-half effort

SAN DIEGO - The way the Chargers told it, Adrian Peterson did them a favor when he predicted 200 yards rushing and a victory against them.

Peterson rushed for 74 yards in the first half, but the Chargers had the final say Sunday after shutting out the Vikings in the second.

"We felt really disrespected," linebacker Takeo Spikes said after San Diego's 24-17 victory.

Game balls went to coach Norv Turner for his 100th victory and punter Mike Scifres, who replaced injured Nate Kaeding and kicked a 40-yard field goal -- and radio personality Dan Patrick might have received one, too, had he been in the Chargers locker room.

The host of a nationally syndicated show, Patrick coaxed the prediction out of Peterson on Friday. Soon thereafter, Chargers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky played the interview for his players.

"[Manusky] didn't even tell us he was going to play it," Spikes said.

"I was like, '200 and a W, huh?' Come on, man, that's the greatest disrespect you can put to a defense."

The previous time he went against the Chargers, in the Metrodome four years ago, Peterson set an NFL game record with 296 yards rushing. The Chargers were without a few of their better defenders that day and now boast Spikes and Sanders, two veterans who signed in July to bolster the team's up-the-middle defense.

Peterson recalled his rampage of 2007 when he ran through tackle attempts of Sanders and safety Eric Weddle, part of a 46-yard run in the second quarter. When Donovan McNabb followed with a touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins, the Vikings were up 17-7 and Peterson's prediction was looking realistic.

Peterson rushed for 24 yards on seven carries in the second half and finished with 98, which wasn't bad compared with the rest of the offense. McNabb was 1-for-6 for 2 yards in the half, and the Vikings offense netted only 26 yards over the four series.

Told that it looked like the Chargers knew what plays were coming, Sanders smiled and said, "We were well- prepared coming into this game. We just had to make some adjustments with our run fits in the second half. We weren't overpursuing the ball, but we needed to do some things better."

Sanders declined to praise Peterson for the 46-yard run, saying it was more a result of subpar tackling.

However jarring the first half was to Chargers fans, who booed the home team a few times, Turner and Scifres stayed poised.