Adrian Peterson showed that he's, in so many words, "the man" on Sunday. He carried the ball 17 times for 84 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars after an offseason that was spent rehabbing major reconstructive surgery on his knee. Many expected that he wouldn't play, while those who thought he would didn't expect him to receive more than a few carries. But Peterson himself carried on and on about him being good to go prior to the start of Week 1.
Now, Peterson says he's at 95 percent, and according to him, that other five percent will make a huge difference. The Star Tribune had a quote from him on the subject:
"It don't sound like much from the outside looking in, but I know my game and I know where I want to be," Peterson said. "And it's going to be huge once I get 100 percent. Like night and day. Seriously. I'm just keeping that in mind. I'm excited just to continue to strengthen this leg and do what I need to do to get there and push to be 100 percent. So I really can go out and perform the way I want to."
When a player makes declarations like this, it's easy to write it off. But considering the fact that Peterson has been the only one speaking the truth throughout all of this, it's even easier to believe him. It's true that he's more-than capable of getting 84 yards on any given day, especially against a team like the Jaguars. So if gets that extra five percent in there prior to Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, then Minnesota could find themselves in the win column.
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