Atlanta's quest for seven wins might have gotten significantly easier today, with the Minnesota Vikings announcing that star RB Adrian Peterson is unlikely to play on Sunday:
Atlanta_Falcons Atlanta_FalconsMinnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is doubtful for Sunday's game at the Georgia Dome.#atlmin11
Peterson sprained his ankle in the second quarter of the Vikings loss to the Oakland Raiders last week; a similar injury kept Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones out for three weeks earlier in the season.
If he's unable to play, Minnesota will turn to second-year RB Toby Gerhart. The 6'0 231 Stanford product has rushed for 118 yards on 24 carries this season.
Peterson's absence would put even more pressure on rookie QB Christian Ponder, whose performed decently through his first four starts, completing 52.1% of his passes with 5 TD's and 6 INT's.
But if Atlanta can make the Vikings offense one-dimensional, Ponder could be in for a long night without his All-Pro RB in the backfield.