Minnesota Vikings home Cook-in’ spoils Peterson’s return

The season-opening spotlight was supposed to be on longtime Vikings star Adrian Peterson’s return to Minnesota, but rookie running back Dalvin Cook stole the show with an explosive performance on Monday.The 22-year-old looked like a seasoned veteran in his National Football League debut as he rushed 22 times for 127 yards in the Vikings 29-19 win over the New Orleans Saints in the first game of the 2017 regular season for both teams. “You can’t  say enough about him,” Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford said of Cook. “He is a great player. I expect him to only get better.”That spoiled the return of running back Peterson, who signed with the Saints as a free agent in the off season.With former league MVP Peterson sitting on the sidelines for much of his New Orleans’ debut, Cook seized command as his 127 yards was 24 more than Peterson’s Viking debut, and almost double what Peterson gained last season in Minnesota.The knock on Cook heading into the season was his inexperience as a pass protector and a tendency to fumble. But the second-round draft pick in 2017 showed none of that on Monday in front of a crowd of 66,000 at US Bank stadium.The former league MVP Peterson spent his first 10 seasons with the Vikings, but is now a complimentary player in New Orleans.After getting the first two carries of the game, for last year’s number one NFL offense, Peterson went silent. He finished with just six carries for 18 yards.“It was a little different, but once I got out there, it was more fun,” Peterson said. “I wish I could have gotten more snaps, but it was and interesting going up against those guys.”Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen added: “We stopped him and didn’t let him get going.”Bradford threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, and wide receiver Stefon Diggs scored two touchdown receptions in the first half. Bradford completed 27 of 32 passes with no turnovers. Adam Thielen caught nine passes for 157 yards, and tight end Kyle Rudolph added a touchdown reception for Minnesota. Saints quarterback Drew Brees was 27 of 37 for 291 yards and one touchdown. Settled for field goals The Saints kicked field goals before Brees connected with tight end Coby Fleener for an eight-yard touchdown with 1:56 left in the game. New Orleans finished with 344 yards of offense. “Obviously we settled for too many field goals offensively, and then all of the sudden, got into catch-up mode,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “I thought early on, defensively, we did some good things and then there was a series that breaks it open in the second quarter. I felt like when we got into the second half, we were having trouble stopping much of anything.” Elsewhere, the Chargers opened their season against Denver in their first game since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles with a 24-21 loss to the Broncos.Meanwhile New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said the three extra days off made it worse for the defending Super Bowl champions to get over their season-opening loss. Brady said it was harder to move on after last Thursday night’s 42-27 setback to the Kansas City Chiefs.“It’s probably easier when you’re getting right back to work,” Brady said during his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI in Boston. “It actually kind of (stunk) having three extra days to think about it and rewatch the game.The Houston Texans may be without five players for Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals because they are in the concussion protocol.Following Sunday’s 29-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, inside linebacker Brian Cushing, wide receiver Bruce Ellington and all three tight ends on the active roster – CJ Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson – were examined for possible concussionsRESULTSVikings 29 Saints 19Broncos 24 Chargers 21