MINNEAPOLIS — Did you see Patrick Peterson on Sunday?
He swatted balls away from receivers. He wagged his index finger incessantly at the opposing sideline. During the Minnesota Vikings’ 34-26 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, he even strutted down to the end zone after Harrison Smith’s interception and wiggled his thumbs like he was using a controller to play “Call of Duty.”
GO DEEPER
Vikings move to 6-1 with win over Cardinals
Asked afterward about his emotion, his audacity and his performance, Peterson said his actions were purposeful.
“I’ve been told a lot of things about me from that organization,” Peterson said of the Cardinals.
The 12th-year veteran’s week leading up to the game began when he texted first-year coach Kevin O’Connell to gather the Vikings’ leadership. At the time, he wanted to offer some reminders as the team emerged from its bye week. He also strategically set the stage for a week he felt was important.
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The reasons lay both in his past and the Vikings’ present. Peterson felt slighted by Arizona’s football franchise, disrespected by the team that drafted him No. 5 in 2011. He also identified the opportunity before the Vikings: to move to 6-1, to further extend their lead in the NFC North, to maintain a tangible level of positive energy among a group of veteran influencers on the team.
“It’s fun being around these guys,” Peterson said. “It’s fun coming to work each and every day. These guys make it fun to be around. You want to soak up these moments, these memories.”
.@P2 is still very much a bad man. pic.twitter.com/M9IigruDH5
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 31, 2022
Before the game, Peterson gathered his teammates and offered up a motivational message: “If you don’t know what it looks like, follow me. Because I’m going to show you energy, passion and a desire to win this football game.” Then the ball was kicked off, and there Peterson was, stalking the Cardinals sideline. Barking and glancing and drawing attention to his presence.
Peterson has said in the past that he never thought he’d play for another team. In the spring of 2021, though, the Cardinals did not re-sign him. But that wasn’t the only thing that irked Peterson, who was 30 at the time. During his time in Arizona, he said critical emails from fans were placed on his chair in the locker room.
“That was the mind-boggling thing to me,” Peterson, now 32, said. “I was like, ‘What? What did I do to deserve this, from a fan?’”
He also said Cardinals general manager Steve Keim never called him after Peterson signed with the Vikings.
“I’m still waiting on Steve Keim to call me,” he said.
The messaging, in many ways, mirrors Za’Darius Smith’s comments ahead of the Vikings’ Week 1 matchup against Smith’s former team, the Green Bay Packers. Smith stated his vengeful intentions in a conversation with Tyler Dunne. The Vikings won that game, and they’ve won five of the six games since. Smith’s impact cannot be overstated.
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At 30, Smith is younger than Peterson, but he has faced similar questions.
Has he lost a step? Is he capable of achieving the production he’s racked up in the past? Is he worth another contract?
If you saw Smith on Sunday, a back-and-forth game that required the Vikings to make two defensive stops in the final five minutes, saw him shrink pockets both from the outside and inside, you’d understand why Smith hasn’t concerned himself much with those questions.
“He’s a baller,” Vikings center Garrett Bradbury said. “He can bull rush. He can get your edge. He’s so athletic. People don’t realize how athletic he is. He’s slimy.”
In the first seven weeks, the Vikings utilized Smith’s versatile pass-rushing skill set to their advantage, lining him up against the most fragile areas of the opposing offensive line. On Sunday, the Cardinals were without starting center Rodney Hudson and left tackle D.J. Humphries. So, the Vikings used Smith to create larger problems.
He raced around the edge early. After his first sack, he mimicked the lasso celebration made famous by Jared Allen, who Sunday was inducted into the Vikings’ Ring of Honor. Later in the game, he blew through the Arizona interior to record another sack. Throughout the game, he battled a knee injury but remained active, which was especially important given how much pressure DeAndre Hopkins was putting on the Minnesota secondary (he caught 12 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown).
The Vikings needed him. So much so that, before the second-to-last play, O’Connell walked over to Smith and said, “I need one more.”
Smith delivered.
“I’m watching the game on the sidelines while the defense is on the field just like you guys,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “And I just feel him. I feel his effect on the game. The way he condensed the pocket. The energy he plays with.”
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Cousins’ compliments for the defensive veterans weren’t confined to Smith or Peterson. He also singled out 30-year-old linebacker Jordan Hicks, another former Cardinal, who, on the second-to-last possession, made a vital tackle to force a turnover on downs.
“We’re so fortunate to have gotten Jordan in free agency,” Cousins said. “He checks every box — as a person, as a leader, as a player, as a teammate. He checks every box. You’re like, ‘Man, how did this guy become a free agent?’ What a gift that we were able to get him.”
In a separate conversation, veteran safety Harrison Smith also commented on the Vikings’ personnel additions. He cited defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and also mentioned slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan.
“I’ve never really seen that many guys, like, be added and really impact the locker room right away,” Smith said. “It’s pretty special.”
And maybe that, among all of the factors that have played into the Vikings’ 6-1 start, has been overlooked. Their special teams prowess is obvious: Again Sunday, the Vikings recovered a muffed punt. Their red zone efficiency is clear: In 11 red zone trips since Week 5, the Vikings have scored 10 touchdowns. Justin Jefferson’s star power is jaw-dropping: He snagged a third-down catch in double-coverage to spark the offense in the third quarter. Cousins’ stability, highlighted by his 232 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, is also a boon.
What? How? Make it make sense.@JJettas2
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/Ic8CBiVWvX
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 30, 2022
But what about the infusion of motivated and intelligent veteran talent?
In the spring, the Vikings’ approach was apparent. With minimal resources, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added a pass rusher (Smith), a linebacker (Hicks), an interior defender (Phillips) and re-signed Peterson. Each player fit the Vikings’ needs on the field, and O’Connell vowed that the coaching staff would work with those players to extract winning edges.
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But in the locker room? Young pass rusher Patrick Jones II has mentioned Smith’s influence on him. Hicks and Eric Kendricks have mentored young linebacker Brian Asamoah. And then there is Peterson, who watches film with young cornerback Cameron Dantzler twice a week. They do what veterans do, but they also play with a fire that’s contagious.
“I’ve still got it,” Peterson said after Sunday’s win. “I’ve still got it. All I heard the last two years was, ‘He’s washed up. He’s done.’ Yeah, I know we’ve still got a second half of the season going, but I’m just getting started. Like, I’m in a zone right now. I’m in a groove. I’ve been here before, and I know how to keep it. And I want to continue to be challenged, continue to help this team win ballgames because I promise you this: If I get challenged, I will show up on the stat sheet.”
His voice rose. He was making a statement.
Not only for himself but also for a group of guys who know what it looks like — who for years, to use Peterson’s words, have shown the energy, the passion and the desire to win.
(Photo: Brad Rempel / USA Today)
