Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson went down with an ankle injury in the Vikings' 27-21 loss to the Raiders, but told reporters immediately after the game that he plans on playing against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday (quote courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press):
"That's not in my DNA," Peterson said after the Vikings loss to Oakland. "I'm going to try to get back as fast as I can and God willing, I'll be up and ready to run this weekend."
If Peterson decides to recant, it would probably preserve his yards per game average even better than his injured ankle: the Falcons turned the Titans' Chris Johnson invisible in their 23-17 win over Tennessee, allowing a meager 13 yards on 12 carries for the superstar running back, a week after keeping the Saints' Darren Sproles in check. The Falcons' run defense is now ranked second in the league, behind only the 49ers, with 85.4 yards allowed per game. Peterson is the NFL's fifth best rusher this season, averaging 94 yards a game.
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