Peterson Can't Do It Alone

It was a truly brutal loss for the Vikings today in Minnesota, as they let a 15-0 lead in the middle of the third quarter slip away, as the Indianapolis Colts scored two TDs and a field goal with :08 to play and won, 18-15.

It was another banner day for Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 160 yards, 118 in just the first half. But the Vikings could not get the ball into the end zone and had to settle for five Ryan Longwell field goals, one of which was 53 yards to conclude the half. It was another subpar performance by Tarvaris Jackson, who went just 14-for-24 and 130 yards. He also fumbled in the third as the momentum was shifting the Colts way. He just doesn't impress me as being an NFL starting QB. And the Vikings are paying for it.

The defense shut Peyton Manning down in the first half and the start of the third quarter, but they were still within striking distance. Joseph Addai scored on a one-yard run, and Manning hit Reggie Wayne with a 32-yard TD early in the fourth, and a two-point conversion tied it at 15.

Longwell attempted a 49-yard field goal late, but that went wide left. That brought back flashbacks of Gary Anderson's miss in the 1998 NFC title game, that eventually kept the Vikings out of the Super Bowl. (Granted that was just a 38-yard attempt, but Longwell's miss also left me with a bad feeling.) Adam Vinatieri missed on a chip shot FG from 30 early in the game, but hit a 47-yarder at the end to give Indy the win.

The Vikings are now 0-2, including their loss to Green Bay last Monday night. Many pundits felt that they were a favorite to win the NFC North this year, so a win next week against Carolina is a must. Brad Childress could find his job in serious jeopardy unless this team starts putting the ball in the end zone more frequently.