Minnesota Vikings: 6 things to watch for in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers

Sep 3, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

AP’s return

It would be a total lie if I told you that this is not the main thing to watch in the Vikings first game that really matters. Adrian Peterson hasn’t taken an NFL snap in over a year and that right there is intriguing enough to watch.

I’ve said this many times and many ways, but the rest could either be a great help or a great hindrance to the Vikings running back. There is almost a guarantee that there will be some type of rust for Adrian and it just depends how long before that gets shaken off. Can Peterson shake that off after a couple carries or will it take, gulp, weeks.

If Peterson was a free agent this last season, the Vikings would have been the team in most need of his services. He’s still on the team and it’s time to see what the can do now.

Next: Can I play with my new toy?