According to Minnesota Vikings' head coach Mike Zimmer, the team is not ready for prime time. That became clear when the Vikings' looked less than impressive against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings simply did not live up to their preseason hype in the first week of the season as Adrian Peterson's return to the league was capped off at just 31 yards on 10 carries. Peterson did not exactly look like a former MVP as Zimmer is not ready to sound the alarm just yet.
There was a lot of attention on Peterson's return considering his dramatic offseason of trade requests and contract extensions. Fans and fantasy owners alike expected much more than just 31 yards on the ground in Week 1 against the 49ers. While some might say Peterson looked like he was holding back and appearing tentative, Zimmer does not believe that was the case.
"I don't think he looked tentative," Zimmer said, via 1500ESPN.com. "I think he was aggressive trying to get to the hole and maybe trying to get to it a little bit too fast at times. He's been working real hard at it. He's gotten a lot better, in my opinion, than what he was."
Peterson along with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater admit that Monday night was a disappointment. The running back failed to get any holes while the quarterback spent the whole night throwing under duress. The team's offensive line simply did not hold up as everyone suffered as a result. The Vikings have been hit hard with injuries on the unit and it could be the downfall of their upcoming season.
"It felt good to get out there, play some football, take some hits," Peterson said, viaESPN.com. "But [it was] definitely embarrassing to perform the way we did. I don't question Coach Turner. He's been doing it for a long time. I trust him. I got the ball a couple of times in the second series. It is what it is."
The Vikings spent most of the offseason loading up on offensive talent to help out Bridgewater in his second season. Mike Wallace had just 63 yards off six catches while a healthy Kyle Rudolph had just 53 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson struggled once again with just one catch for one yard. That type of performance will not help his case to remain with the team as rumors of a release are beginning to swirl. The Vikings had plenty of excitement around them entering the season. They certainly have the players to make it true, but if the offensive line continues with their performance from Week 1, it might not come together.