Vikings

Childress: Peterson Suffered Lateral Ligament Tear

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) ― Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will miss Sunday's game against Oakland with a torn ligament in his right knee, coach Brad Childress said Monday.

Childress said Peterson tore his lateral collateral ligament in the Vikings' 34-0 loss to Green Bay. Peterson will not require surgery, Childress said.

"The good news is that the knee is otherwise stable and the injury is isolated to that ligament," Childress said. "I'm told that's a good-healing ligament."

Childress said the injury is not a season-ending injury, but he did not talk about when Peterson might be back.

"I'm real hesitant to put a timeline on that thing," Childress said.

The coach was informed by team doctors that ligament tears are graded on a three-point scale, with three being the worst. Childress said he was told that Peterson's tear is "two-plus," but is not as serious as if it were an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which would have required surgery and ended Peterson's brilliant rookie season.

"This is not one of those," Childress said.

Peterson was injured in the third quarter on Sunday in a 34-0 loss at Green Bay. Packers cornerback Al Harris hit him in the knee just as Peterson was about to make a cut downfield, and the star rookie writhed in pain for several minutes in a scary scene.

Losing the only offensive star they have will be a devastating blow to a unit that has struggled in every game that Peterson has not topped 200 yards rushing this season. It's been a one-man show in Minnesota, with Peterson accounting for 1,081 of the team's 1,551 yards rushing and eight of the team's 10 rushing touchdowns.

The No. 7 overall pick out of Oklahoma broke the single-game rushing record two weeks ago against San Diego, racking up 296 yards to put him on pace to smash Eric Dickerson's record for yards rushing by a rookie in a single season.

Now the Vikings will turn to veteran Chester Taylor, who topped 1,200 yards rushing last season and has been solid in spot duty behind Peterson this year. Taylor is averaging 5 yards per carry in a backup role.Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered a lateral collateral ligament tear in the game Sunday, Vikings coach Brad Childress said.

Childress said there is no timetable for Peterson's return. He added Peterson is not expected to play in Sunday's game against Oakland.

The tear is to Peterson's distal third of that ligament. It is a grade 2+ tear, on a scale where three is the worst.

Childress said all other structures in Peterson's knee are good.

Peterson injured his knee Sunday when Packers cornerback Al Harris hit him while making a tackle in the third quarter.

The Vikings lost the game 34-0, marking the team's first shutout since 1991.

Losing the star rookie for any stretch of time would be devastating for the Vikings. Peterson has been the lone bright spot in a dismal offensive season for the 3-and-6 Vikings.

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