Adrian Peterson texts Vikings coach

ByBen Goessling ESPN logo

Monday, September 29, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS -- Before their 41-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings received a motivational message from a familiar source: Adrian Peterson.

The running back, who is on the league's exempt/commissioner's permission list and away from the team while he fights child abuse charges in Texas, sent a text message to coach Mike Zimmer before Sunday's game that Zimmer read to players.

"The words that Adrian texted Coach Zimmer were very deep," quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said. "One thing I took away from that message was, play each down like it's your last, because you never know when it's going to be your last opportunity. I think the guys got that message pretty well."

The Vikings ran for 241 yards in the win over the Falcons, with rookie running back Jerick McKinnon breaking off a 55-yard run that came almost seven years to the day after Peterson's 55-yard run against the Green Bay Packers, matching it for the fourth-longest by a rookie in team history.

McKinnon also became the first Vikings rookie to run for more than 100 yards since Peterson did it.

"We felt [Peterson] in spirit," running back Matt Asiata told 1500ESPN.com. "He gave us a text, a motivational speech in a text, and we came out punching."

The Vikings' running game had struggled in Peterson's first two games away from the team, with Asiata's 36 yards leading the team in a Week 3 loss to the Saints. A week later, Asiata carried 20 times for 78 yards, McKinnon finished the day with 135 yards on 18 carries, Bridgewater added five carries for 27 yards and the Vikings easily surpassed Zimmer's goal of 130 yards rushing for the day.

"[Peterson] just sent it to Coach [Zimmer]," linebacker Gerald Hodges told 1500ESPN.com. "Him and Coach were texting back, and [Peterson] said he wanted to share some things. He just said he'd love to be out here, would be dying to be out here with us. But everything's out of his control. He just said go out there and play your hearts out like it's your last time playing."