Big Ernie McCracken Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_744579...;nclick_check=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_744579...;nclick_check=1 Can you post the article ? The link needs registration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Minnesota Vikings star rookie Adrian Peterson could return by Nov. 25, but that could be risky BY SEAN JENSEN Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 11/13/2007 12:35:44 AM CST (No caption with photo) The Vikings are not ruling out the possibility of rookie Adrian Peterson returning from a sprained right knee as soon as the Nov. 25 game against the New York Giants. But a renowned orthopedic specialist said Peterson should shut it down for the rest of the 2007 season. "It's not realistic," said Dr. Johnny Benjamin, the chief of orthopedics at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Fla. "Saying it's a Grade 2-plus (tear) is the doctors trying to give coach (Brad) Childress and all the Viking faithful some hope. "But it's a torn ligament, and a torn ligament is going to take six weeks to heal. And that's for someone like a doctor or news writer, who doesn't go out there and make cuts like Adrian Peterson obviously does." Peterson and the Vikings were relieved Monday morning when a magnetic resonance imaging exam confirmed that the running back tore his lateral collateral ligament, the least debilitating of the four ligaments in the knee, during the third quarter of a 34-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Childress, who ruled Peterson out for Sunday's home game against the Oakland Raiders, and head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman declined to provide a timetable. But Sugarman said Peterson "absolutely has a chance" to play against the Giants, "unless there's some crazy setback." "It is not a season-ending injury," Sugarman said. "It just is not." Childress acknowledged that Peterson could do more damage by returning too soon, and Advertisement he added, "We're not going to put him out there until he can protect himself." Benjamin said Peterson could return this season - the Vikings have seven games left - but he said the risk isn't worth taking. "If you're looking out for that young man's career, you'd shut him down," said Benjamin, who works with the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training and has worked with, among others, former Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper and Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson. "But if coach Childress is looking for his job security, then you're trying to figure out a way to get him back on the field. "If treated properly, Adrian Peterson will be the beast he's always been," Benjamin said. "But if treated improperly, this could be a nagging injury and impact his career, and he may never be the same. He is maybe the best rookie ever. Why would you take a chance on his career by bringing him back too early?" Peterson said he was thankful that it was "just a sprain," admitting that he initially feared that he suffered a more serious knee injury. He didn't sleep well Sunday night, and he was nervous about his Monday morning MRI. A few hours later, Peterson was upbeat, and he insisted the injury scare wouldn't affect his psyche or aggressive running style. "That's me. That's how I run the ball," Peterson said. "I can't do anything about a guy coming and hitting me in my legs. It's football." Asked if he had any fear of injuries, Peterson said, "That's not something I think about. "I don't go out there and be worried about getting injured, because nine times out of 10, that's how you get injured," he said. "I just go out there and play fast, and let things happen." Peterson said he would trust Sugarman and the Vikings' medical staff to help him get back onto the football field. But it is common for injured players to seek a second opinion, especially on a day off like today. Sugarman said offensive linemen, with a brace, could play with the injury as soon as Sunday. In October 2002, Packers quarterback Brett Favre suffered an LCL sprain, rested during the bye week, then continued his record streak of consecutive games played. Sugarman said Peterson's knee needs to be more stable than either an offensive lineman's or a quarterback's. "He is an aggressive, violent runner," Sugarman said. "He's not physically able to do that (cut) yet. You've got to let the trauma settle down." Benjamin said an LCL tear can heal if "given the proper time," but he added that there are no exercises or magic elixirs to expedite the process. "You don't want to stress it," Benjamin said. "Let it quiet down. Get it nice and strong and tight again." There is another challenge, Benjamin said: Even if Peterson's knee heals, his fitness could suffer because his workout options would be limited. "He may be able to swim and ride a bike and do Pilates," Benjamin said, "but football has that added dimension, and that's contact." Benjamin pointed to players who miss a significant chunk of training camp but keep working out. "It's not the same," Benjamin said. "You got to get back in football shape." With 1,081 yards, Peterson leads the NFL in rushing, and he's still on pace to break Eric Dickerson's rookie record of 1,808. But Benjamin said that shouldn't matter. "Why push him for a rookie record?" Benjamin said. "Part of the issue with professional sports is, there are a lot of things that come into play, and it usually relates to dollars and cents. If I was Adrian's uncle, there would be no way I would advise him (to play)." Sean Jensen can be reached at sjensen@pioneerpress.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 But a renowned orthopedic specialist said Peterson should shut it down for the rest of the 2007 season. "It's not realistic," said Dr. Johnny Benjamin, the chief of orthopedics at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Fla. "Saying it's a Grade 2-plus (tear) is the doctors trying to give coach (Brad) Childress and all the Viking faithful some hope. "But it's a torn ligament, and a torn ligament is going to take six weeks to heal. And that's for someone like a doctor or news writer, who doesn't go out there and make cuts like Adrian Peterson obviously does." I say the ole Doc must be a Chester Taylor owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROYALWITCHEESE Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 I say the ole Doc must be a Chester Taylor owner. LOL +1 You would think he would have to examine AP, or at the very least see the MRI before giving his "opinion"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 (edited) I have to agree with this guy. Since when is a knee ligament TEAR (not a sprain) not a season-ending injury, or at least one that takes over a month to heal? The fact that they're calling it a "grade 2+" (rather than a "grade 3") tear suggests that they're trying like hell to sugar-coat it. And if it's "only" a partial tear, why in the hell would they want to risk putting their high-cost stud rookie halfback at risk by sending him back out there in December? That's just stupid. Edited November 13, 2007 by Bill Swerski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 I say the ole Doc must be a Chester Taylor owner. i was thinking the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAUgrad Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grits and Shins Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 LOL +1 You would think he would have to examine AP, or at the very least see the MRI before giving his "opinion"... Why is an examination required? A doctor experienced in treating these kind of injuries probably has a pretty good idea based on the published diagnosis. Did you read the article? There are no exercises or therapy to expediate the healing of this type of injury. Will AP be able to walk with out discomfort in a relatively short time ... probably. Will he be able to run the football like before the injury ... probably not ... at least not until the injury has had time to heal properly. Could AP get on the field sooner than the full heal time ... probably. Would he be risking more significant and permanent damage to the knee if he did so ... most certainly. If a decision was made that was in the best interest of AP's health and future potential he'd be shut down for the rest of the season. If the Vikings organization and/or Childress are more concerned about filling seats and/or saving jobs then it is very possible that AP may be playing sooner then he should. Lastly ... AP's contract, incentives and desires should have NO impact on the decision; i.e. it should not matter that AP wants to get back on the field in order to try for ROY or get his incentives. This line of thinking is purely selfish and short term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#1 Niners Fan Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 to the person who said the Doc must be a Chester Taylor owner...that made me laugh out loud!! Now serioulsy, if we see Adrian Peterson again this year, the Vikings are out of their mind...and if Childress tries to get him out there yes, this may heal in time for him to get a couple of games in, but its not like they are in a playoff race...maybe its not as serious as an ACL or MCL tear, but he still tore a ligament in his knee...shut it down, let him heal fully, and get back to it in spring workouts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trojanmojo Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 to the person who said the Doc must be a Chester Taylor owner...that made me laugh out loud!! Now serioulsy, if we see Adrian Peterson again this year, the Vikings are out of their mind...and if Childress tries to get him out there yes, this may heal in time for him to get a couple of games in, but its not like they are in a playoff race...maybe its not as serious as an ACL or MCL tear, but he still tore a ligament in his knee...shut it down, let him heal fully, and get back to it in spring workouts! The Vikes aren't going anywhere this season. If they play this cat too early, they may blow their future as well. Childress is an even bigger tool than I thought if they throw him back out there. Sit this guy down and work on finding a decent QB in the offseason..and a new coach while they're at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Childress will be fighting for his career over the next 6 weeks... he will play Peterson as soon as he thinks he can get away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Childress will be fighting for his career over the next 6 weeks... he will play Peterson as soon as he thinks he can get away with it. For Peterson's sake and that of the team I hope they wait 4 weeks. Go for it Childress. Anything that hurts the Vikings has to be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Ernie McCracken Posted November 13, 2007 Author Share Posted November 13, 2007 Zygi is notoriously cheap and will not likely be interested in paying the 3rd year of Childress's contract without services rendered :thinking:They'd have to be nuts to let this kid see the field again with them all but eliminated from playoff contention. The marketing buildup for an assault on the record books next season would awesome. If they're smart and put a real QB in place they could be competitive with a healthy AP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayhem Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 The Minnyscrotum Vikings are gonna get that kid killed. He shouldnt be allowed to play until they get an NFL quarterback. Which they dont have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Sit him down and Fire Childress. Bring in the Chin, a top 10 QB in the draft, and Larry Fitzgerald... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delicious_bass Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Sit him down and Fire Childress. Bring in the Chin, a top 10 QB in the draft, and Larry Fitzgerald... I could dance to that tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Sit him down and Fire Childress. Bring in the Chin, a top 10 QB in the draft, and Larry Fitzgerald... I think bringing in a rookie QB TO START is not the correct move for this team IMO. They need to get a proven QB such as McNabb and let the new QB of the future sit a year and in year two they should be a force with that oline, dline and AD running the rock. They need to solidify the team and have a stopgap at QB for one year. Draft the young QB, but also pay a FA to run the team for one season. That's me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROYALWITCHEESE Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 I have to agree with this guy. Since when is a knee ligament TEAR (not a sprain) not a season-ending injury, or at least one that takes over a month to heal? The fact that they're calling it a "grade 2+" (rather than a "grade 3") tear suggests that they're trying like hell to sugar-coat it. And if it's "only" a partial tear, why in the hell would they want to risk putting their high-cost stud rookie halfback at risk by sending him back out there in December? That's just stupid. There are torn MCLs every week in the NFL, and none of them are season enders. LCLs are akin to MCL on the outside of the knee, and therefore heal similarly. You are thinking of ACL tears, which certainly are season ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 There are torn MCLs every week in the NFL, and none of them are season enders. LCLs are akin to MCL on the outside of the knee, and therefore heal similarly. You are thinking of ACL tears, which certainly are season ending. it's still a knee ligament which would only provoke us Peterson owners to start him and be miserable when his performance suffers from his inability to make a cut... I'll roll the dice with SJax, Lynch and Young at RB down the stretch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROYALWITCHEESE Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Why is an examination required? A doctor experienced in treating these kind of injuries probably has a pretty good idea based on the published diagnosis. Did you read the article? There are no exercises or therapy to expediate the healing of this type of injury. Will AP be able to walk with out discomfort in a relatively short time ... probably. Will he be able to run the football like before the injury ... probably not ... at least not until the injury has had time to heal properly. Could AP get on the field sooner than the full heal time ... probably. Would he be risking more significant and permanent damage to the knee if he did so ... most certainly. If a decision was made that was in the best interest of AP's health and future potential he'd be shut down for the rest of the season. If the Vikings organization and/or Childress are more concerned about filling seats and/or saving jobs then it is very possible that AP may be playing sooner then he should. Lastly ... AP's contract, incentives and desires should have NO impact on the decision; i.e. it should not matter that AP wants to get back on the field in order to try for ROY or get his incentives. This line of thinking is purely selfish and short term. With the collateral ligaments, inactivity is not a requirement of the healing process. They actually heal better with activity. So he will be able to heal and play at the same time--with a brace. Each case is individual, so this doctor is speaking in general terms when in fact each case is SPECIFIC. An LCL injury is virtually equivalent to an MCL, which people play through all the time. Peoiple are blowing this "serious" ligament tear WAY out of proportion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 There are torn MCLs every week in the NFL, and none of them are season enders. LCLs are akin to MCL on the outside of the knee, and therefore heal similarly. You are thinking of ACL tears, which certainly are season ending. I'm not an M.D., but torn MCLs are NOT 1-2 week injuries. I remember Fred Taylor missing a full month back in 2000 with a sprained MCL. The Vikings would be stupid to put AP out there any time before December, and they may as well just shut him down for the year. They've invested way too much in him to risk further injury or stunting the healing process of his LCL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grits and Shins Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 With the collateral ligaments, inactivity is not a requirement of the healing process. They actually heal better with activity. So he will be able to heal and play at the same time--with a brace. Each case is individual, so this doctor is speaking in general terms when in fact each case is SPECIFIC. An LCL injury is virtually equivalent to an MCL, which people play through all the time. Peoiple are blowing this "serious" ligament tear WAY out of proportion... I don't care what ligament you tore ... "healing better with activity" does not equate to healing better because you are running full speed attempting to make cuts and getting hit at full speed in a professional NFL game. That would be like saying you can only really learn to drive by actually driving so you should go learn to drive on the Autobahn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 With the collateral ligaments, inactivity is not a requirement of the healing process. They actually heal better with activity. I don't think that the "activity" of smashing his knee into the helmets of linebackers and safeties, or making sudden cuts at full speed would help the healing process. He's probably better off doing a lot of stretching and light jogging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 I have to agree with this guy. Since when is a knee ligament TEAR (not a sprain) not a season-ending injury, or at least one that takes over a month to heal? The fact that they're calling it a "grade 2+" (rather than a "grade 3") tear suggests that they're trying like hell to sugar-coat it. And if it's "only" a partial tear, why in the hell would they want to risk putting their high-cost stud rookie halfback at risk by sending him back out there in December? That's just stupid. +1. That's been my thought since the moment the tear was announced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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