A few notes out of the Vikings brutal four touchdown loss to Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday.
Adrian Peterson was pulled in the second half of the 42-14 loss, and after the defeat head coach Leslie Frazier said coaches thought it wasn’t a good idea to keep him in the game considering how he was playing and the condition he entered the game in.
Peterson addressed his health after the game, saying his body is “just not responding” as he would like.
The running back added he hasn’t been healthy is “five or six” weeks. He has rushed for 75 yards or less in four of the last six games.
As for the quarterback carousel, Frazier said after the game that his initial instinct is that Matt Cassel will start for the Vikings in their 2013 finale against Detroit.
Cassel turned the ball over four times, one of the turnovers getting returned for a touchdown, another being returned to Minnesota’s four-yard line.
Cassel has appeared in every one of the Vikings four wins, though he did not contribute positively Sunday by his own admission, saying his inconsistency and mistakes made it tough for Minnesota to win.
In injury news, Toby Gerhart, like Peterson, had to leave the game early, as he appeared to aggravate his injured hamstring. Middle linebacker Audie Cole also left the contest, as he sprained an ankle early in the game.
Frazier will have more to say on Peterson, Cassel, injuries, and other topics tomorrow at 12:30, his weekly day-after-game press conference.
