Adrian Peterson's season appeared to end with a torn meniscus in Week 2 against Green Bay. If all goes according to plan, he might complete his miraculous comeback against those same Packers in Week 16.
Peterson revealed to DJ Skee on dashradio.com on Monday that his plan is to play against the Packers on Christmas Eve, though he also added that an ideal scenario would be to rest until the playoffs.
"I plan on practicing this week to really get my legs under me and get a good feel on where I'm at," he said, according to the Pioneer Press. "So, this week is going to be big for me. My plan, and my vision, is to be back for the Green Bay game. That's what I'm envisioning.
"Of course, the perfect scenario would be we win out and I'm able to rest up for three weeks and be ready for the playoffs. That's the perfect scenario. But I'll be out there this week practicing, and I'll go from there."
If Peterson returns before Christmas, it will prove that he is, in fact, a cyborg. After all, he tore his meniscus in mid-September and opted to have the injury surgically repaired. He landed on injured reserve, which led to speculation that Peterson's time as a Viking could be over for good.
But Peterson is determined to return with the Vikings not far off from a playoff spot. At 7-6, Minnesota is unlikely to catch the Lions, who hold a two-game lead in the NFC North. But the Vikings are just a game back of the Buccaneers for the final wild-card spot. So that game against the Packers will be a big one, because they're all big for them here on out.
"My eyes are still set on being in Houston for the Super Bowl," Peterson said. "That's been my vision. With us still in the (playoff) hunt, that hasn't changed at all."
The Vikings' offense could use a spark. They're ranked last in rushing with 73.4 yards per game.
