Kritik und Anregungen » sition in 2014.The job for us is going to be du

MINNEAPOLIS -- Adrian Peterson has always called himself a quick healer. Now he says hes ready to come back from his latest knee surgery even sooner than he originally thought.Peterson told Dash Radio on Friday that he plans to return to the Minnesota Vikings backfield on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. His surprise announcement comes four days after he reiterated that he was targeting the game against Green Bay on Dec. 24 as his first game back after having surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee.It really boils down to how I feel, Peterson told the internet radio station, of which he is an investor. What it really came down to me in my heart knowing, especially after these past two days, that I can go out there and be productive.Peterson practiced Wednesday for the first time since he was injured in Week 2 against the Packers. He practiced on Thursday and Friday as well and was not listed on the teams injury report, further evidence that he is fully healthy.I was really uncertain, Peterson said of starting the week. I had been cutting on my own on the field, but its different when you have guys to avoid and youre playing the actual game of football.Peterson said he spoke to coach Mike Zimmer, head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman and his wife as he contemplated making the return one week sooner than he initially expected.We just have to make sure everything is good with the doctors and everything going forward, thats all, Zimmer said after practice on Friday.According to Peterson, the wait is over.In the end, he said he couldnt imagine sitting out one more week, watching the Vikings (7-6) lose and possibly be eliminated from the postseason race without him on the field. Peterson said he didnt expect the Vikings would lose to the Colts (6-7) at home without him, but he wanted to make sure he was out there to help a team that believes it has to win its final three games to make the playoffs.Its a big lift for the Vikings, whose offense has struggled to score points and sustain drives in short-yardage situations. Peterson had just 50 yards on 31 carries behind a porous offensive line in the first two weeks, but adding a player with his playmaking ability to a unit that is last in the league in rushing offense can only help matters.Now the only thing that remains to be seen is how quickly Peterson can get back to the explosive runner he has always been. By the time the Vikings and Colts kickoff on Sunday, three months will have passed since Petersons injury and it could take some time for him to work his way back up to playing speed.It also marks a bit of a risk for Peterson from the standpoint of his long-term future. The 31-year-old is set to make $18 million next season and his contract will almost certainly need to be renegotiated if he wants to remain in Minnesota. Another injury over these final three weeks or subpar production could cost him if he hits the open market.But Peterson doesnt appear to be concerned with that end of things. He chose the surgery he did to increase his chances of long-term health. Had he chosen a different method to repair the injury, he likely would have missed less time this season but would have been more likely to have lingering knee issues later in his career and his life.After a week, God was able to show me that, `Hey just believe in yourself and youre here, Peterson said. Being out there just confirmed it that Im ready to roll.The Vikings will be missing safety Harrison Smith (ankle), cornerback Trae Waynes (concussion), right guard Brandon Fusco (concussion) and receiver Laquon Treadwell (ankle) with injuries.Running back Matt Asiata (ankle), center Joe Berger (concussion) and cornerback Mackensie Alexander (abdomen) are listed as questionable.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Deivi Garcia Jersey . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Custom Thurman Munson Jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/custom-don-mattingly-jersey-large-564i.html . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Joe Pepitone Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Mickey Mantle Jersey Large . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. NEW ORLEANS -- Time will tell if the stunning comeback the New Orleans Saints pulled out before getting this week off will be a confidence-building turning point or a mere reprieve from an otherwise miserable season.Its too early to make judgments already, said Saints fullback John Kuhn, who scored three TDs, including the winner last weekend. Its going to be nice to take this momentum into the bye, get healthy, come back, kind of get refocused.For now, the 1/3 Saints -- who might have been 0-4 if not for a fourth-quarter meltdown by San Diego last weekend -- can take some solace in the fact 13 other NFL teams were also 1/3 or worse through Week 4. In the NFC South, theyre tied for second, two games out of first with 12 to go.Meanwhile, optimism stems from the anticipated return of several injured regulars in coming weeks, making the timing of the Saints bye week rather fortuitous for the banged-up club.We have a chance to get a number of guys back that have been out; obviously that number has been high for us -- unusually high this early part of the season, Saints coach Sean Payton said. It falls at a good time for a number of players.Starting left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), starting middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (quad), projected starting linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (quad), tight end Josh Hill (ankle) and left guard Senio Kelemete (hamstring) all missed last Sundays game with injuries. The Saints have characterized them as week to week, providing hope that any or all of them could be back by the time the Saints return to action Oct. 16 against Carolina in the Superdome.Additionally, safety Kenny Vaccaro (ankle) and receiver Willie Snead (toe) played through their recent injuries last Sunday. Vaccaro said he and a number of other players would be spending the week off getting treatment at team headquarters.We need it, Vaccaro said of the week off. A lot of guys dont like the early bye because you kind of want it in Week 10 after youre really, really beat up. But weve had so many injuries early and a lot of guys that are playing are banged-up, so itll be exciting to see guys out there fresh, flying around.And in just a few more weeks, starting cornerback Delvin Breaux and first-round draft choice Sheldon Rankins, a projected starter at defensive tackle, could be back. Both of them have broken legs.Yet the schedule only appears to get tougher. And some of the Saints statistical rankings -- particularly on defense -- havent been flattering through the first month.Havingg ranked 31st in the NFL in defense the past two seasons, New Orleans remained 31st through Week 4, allowing 422.dddddddddddd yards per game. Perhaps even more concerning for the unit is being dead last in points allowed per game at 32.5. Even last weekend, the Saints gave up plenty of yards (346) and points (34), but came up with a pair of fumble recoveries inside the final seven minutes to give quarterback Drew Brees a chance to lead his latest comeback with a pair of short touchdown drives. The Saints defense then came up with one of its best series of the season to close out the win, producing a sack, followed a couple plays later by an interception on fourth-and-long.We have some momentum based on the way the fourth quarter (in San Diego) finished. Yet, there are a lot of things that need to be cleaned up, Payton said. Were going to see a stretch of good opponents coming up here. If you start with Carolina and then you go to the next week, Kansas City, and the week after that is Seattle. All of those teams were playoff teams (last year) and played extremely well.Payton said coaches are spending much of the bye week analyzing the performance of individual players and re-evaluating which personnel groupings serve the team best in various situations. Even before the bye, some lineup adjustments were made.Rookie free safety Vonn Bell, a second-round draft choice out of Ohio State, started ahead of Jairus Byrd, a former Pro Bowl player with Buffalo who represented New Orleans highest-profile free-agent acquisition in 2014.The job for us is going to be during this bye to look closely at what were doing -- not just defensively or offensively or in the kicking game (and) make sure we have our best players on the field, Payton said.New Orleans first two losses came down to the last possession, meaning even minor improvements could have made the difference between 1/3 and 3-1. Payton is confident his players arent making any pessimistic assumptions that the success rate of the final 12 games will resemble that of the first four.There is enough veteran leadership in this room and players that understand how difficult it is to win each week, and yet how attainable it can be, Payton said. Certainly, getting that win (in San Diego) is a boost of confidence -- and we needed it.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '