Sid Hartman: Line is big reason for Peterson's success

The Viking offensive line, much improved over last year after adding rookie left tackle Matt Kalil and moving Charlie Johnson from left tackle to left guard, hasn't gotten near the credit it deserves for its great blocking for Adrian Peterson.

"I think we continue to improve," said center John Sullivan, healthy this year after being injured most of last season. "We have the same goal this weekend. Obviously we're going out there playing to win. But we need to keep getting better, and that's going to be the same thing all the way through the end of the season."

Sullivan, who ranks among the NFL's best centers, said that blocking for Peterson is awesome.

"He's the best running back in the NFL, and we take a lot of pride in being able to run the football," Sullivan said, "and it's nice because it really helps us win games. It's what our offense is built around, so it's an absolute pleasure blocking for a back like that."

What is the key to being successful blocking for Peterson? "I'd say we try to be physical. We always talk about [being] physical, smart, and disciplined," Sullivan said. "We don't want to take penalties, but if we're going to have a penalty, we want to make sure it's when we're playing fast and hard.

"We want to go out there and impose our will on defenses, and that's not the easiest task week in and week out in the NFL, because the defenses you play are very good. But that's our goal, that's the mantra that's set forth for us by our coaching staff, specifically [offensive line] coach [Jeff] Davidson, and we try to live up to that."

Sullivan said the linemen block the same for Peterson as they do for the team's other backs.

Another unsung blocker is fullback Jerome Felton, whom Peterson and coach Leslie Frazier singled out this week as playing a key role in Peterson's success.

"We've gone back a little with our two-back runs, and they have proven beneficial," Frazier said. "Adrian has done a nice job of following his blocks, and Jerome has done a good of seeking out linebackers and safeties and doing his part."

Improvement the key Sullivan said the successful NFL teams are those that improve every week, as the Vikings have.

"No team is the same in Week 16 as they are in Week 1," he said. "You're either getting better or you're getting worse. Very rarely do teams stay flat. I think we continue to improve, and that's the goal."

Sullivan said Sunday's opponent, the Houston Texans, "have a really good team, a lot of great defensive players. J.J. Watt, Antonio Smith, Shawn Cody, they are all playing well right now, so it's going to be a big challenge."

Some free-agent surprises There has been a lot of recent free-agent action with former Twins. Torii Hunter got a lot of press for tweeting about the Angels signing Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million contract. But Hunter said this week that he merely was trying to make a joke. On WFMB-AM radio in Illinois, Hunter said, "I wasn't upset at all. Josh Hamilton ... is a good friend of mine."

There was a steady stretch when the Twins had Drew Butera basically serving as Carl Pavano's personal catcher. But those two players will not be back next season. The Twins will not offer arbitration to Butera, so the defensive standout will not return for a fourth season. And even though Pavano would come back for a lot lower salary, the Twins have no interest in re-signing him.

The Twins had wanted to bring back pitcher Francisco Liriano, but weren't going to come close to the $14 million over two years that the Pittsburgh Pirates gave him.

And it was a major surprise that there wasn't a bigger market for former Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski, coming off a banner year for the White Sox with a career-high 27 home runs and .278 average. Pierzynski wound up signing a one-year contract with Texas.

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