Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs we have ever seen, and he will go straight to the Hall of Fame when he retires. However, he is not retired yet, and he will start the season against the Minnesota Vikings as he plays for his new team in the New Orleans Saints. He will be in good position to make sure the Vikings will eat a little crow after getting rid of him, but it is not Mike Zimmer's concern. The Vikings have a season to play, and they need to get to it as soon as they can.
Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford set a record for completion percentage last season, and he must be somewhere near as good this season if the Vikings want to be competitive.
They will probably not make the playoffs, but they need to make another good showing with Bradford to justify getting rid of Teddy Bridgewater at the end of the season. They have major decisions to make, and they must have everything else in place so that they can move on from Bridgewater and Peterson.
Peterson must be perfect
Peterson must have a marvelous season that proves he still has what it takes to rush for at least 1,500 yards. He cannot be in a position where he is barely running for any decent yardage, and he must keep his yards-per-carry up during the season. Peterson cannot be concerned about sticking it to the Vikings because he will only play them once. He must stick it to the whole league so that he can show them that they should have had more faith in him.
Taking more of the offense
Peterson must take over more of the offense that will ensure that Drew Brees is not trying to do it all on his own. He is likely to extend his career if they are taking the load off of one another. These two can both play for several years together if they are more concerned with their health than they are with the manner in which they embarrass opposing teams.
It is important for the Saints to remain focused as they are running their offense. It will be completely new to them, and it will give them both a chance to play with a Hall of Famer who can make life easier.
Sean Payton cannot mess up
Sean Payton cannot mess up as he is managing the offense, and he could be the first person to be fired because the team is underachieving.
It is important for him to be accommodating of both of his best players, and he must have a much better defense that will ensure that the offense can get back on the field often. Someone who is watching the Saints with care will notice that they are scoring a lot, but how many changes will they have to score?
