All in a day’s work
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 09/24/2009
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Last week, in previewing the 2009 NFL season, I connected the importance in the relationship between each team at the most important position, quarterback — having a veteran quarterback who’s won before — to the value potential of the team’s success. Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals proved my point Sunday in hot Jacksonville, Florida.
Warner set an NFL single-game record by completing 24-26 (92.30 percent) of his passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in Arizona’s 31-17 win over Jacksonville.
It was the defending NFC Champions’ first win of the season, and it happened on the same day that FOX’s Jimmy Johnson said, “Stick a fork in them [the Cardinals]. They’re done,” partly because the quarterback, Kurt Warner, was just a couple years younger than he was. Last year, the Cardinals came within seconds of beating Pittsburgh in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.
Drew Brees of New Orleans has raised the bar the highest of all quarterbacks; in two games, the Saints have scored 48 and 45 points, and he has thrown nine touchdown passes. “Who dat think they gone beat them Saints?”
The Vikings handed the Detroit Lions their 19th consecutive loss, 27-13. Quarterback Brett Favre led the way, completing 23-27 for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Favre started in his NFL-record 271st consecutive game. He has won more games than any quarterback in NFL history, 171.
Adrian Peterson’s 27-yard touchdown run gave the Vikings their first lead, 17-10 in the third quarter. Peterson ran for 92 yards on 15 carries. “It’s all mental, said Peterson. “You have go out there and give it your all.”
The 2-0 Vikings have done that. This week they host the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers; it will be a match-up of Peterson vs. Frank Gore at running back. Gore last week ran for 207 yards in the 49ers’ 23-10 win over Seattle. Mike Singletary has the 49ers playing well again and has won six of their last seven games.
Two weeks ago, Peterson set a Vikings team record in a season opener when he ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns against Cleveland. He was not himself in the first half, however; fighting a little bug, he ran for only 25 yards.
Peterson has had many big days as a Viking, an NFL-record 296 yards in 2007 against San Diego and 224 yards at Chicago the same year. Against Cleveland last week, he broke a 64-yard touchdown run where he slung a defender out of bounds.
Peterson said he’s done that before: “In college, I did a guy like that. We [Oklahoma] were playing Texas Tech. It was an outside zone play. I gave the guy a stiff arm and swung him by me the exact same way I did the guy from Cleveland. It gave me a flashback from that.”
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
