DETROIT -- The Minnesota Vikings downgraded running back Adrian Peterson to questionable on their injury report because of an illness on Saturday night. Unless Peterson takes a turn for the worse, those around him still expect he'll play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Peterson's tenacity has never been in much doubt. He played the second half of his MVP season in 2012 with a sports hernia, and with the Vikings out of playoff contention in 2013, Peterson lobbied to play against the Philadelphia Eagles a week after he suffered a mid-foot sprain.
This season, before the Vikings' second home game against the San Diego Chargers, Peterson joined his teammates on the field 75 minutes before kickoff and proceeded to run for 126 yards and two touchdowns. His wife had given birth to their son just hours earlier.
As one person close to Peterson put it, "Adrian is Adrian."
Peterson has plenty of incentive to play Sunday against the Lions, who rank 26th in the league against the run. In 13 career games against the Lions, Peterson has gained 1,392 yards on 264 carries. He's rushed for 11 touchdowns against Detroit, and in his last game at Ford Field, Peterson took his first carry of the 2013 season 78 yards for a touchdown.