Minnesota Vikings Find Winning Recipe in Adrian Peterson, Run Game Revival

The Minnesota Vikings won't win many games in 2015 when running back Adrian Peterson carries just 10 times and Mike Zimmer's defense gives up over 200 rushing yards.

The Vikings also won't lose many games when Peterson has 30 or more touches and the defense controls the line of scrimmage. 

Minnesota followed the first script and lost in ugly fashion in Week 1, a 20-3 defeat in San Francisco. Using the latter blueprint, the Vikings beat up the Detroit Lions and delivered a 26-16 bounce-back win in Week 2. 

The winning recipe for the 2015 Vikings was established on Sunday. 

	Week 1 (at SF)	Week 2 (vs. DET)
Peterson touches	13	31
Peterson rushing yards	31	134
Peterson total yards	52	192
Rushing yards allowed	230	38
Yards per rush allowed	5.9	2.4
Leading opposing rusher	Hyde (168)	Stafford (20)

Peterson carried 29 times for 134 yards and caught two passes for another 58, while the Minnesota defense allowed just 38 rushing yards. A week after being out-rushed by almost 160 yards in San Francisco, the Vikings finished Sunday's win with a decisive 199-38 advantage on the ground. 

Minnesota never trailed. Peterson was a big reason why. 

The Vikings scored their first touchdown of 2015 on the opening drive of the game, marching 75 yards on 11 plays. Peterson got the ball on seven of the 11 plays, resulting in 45 rushing yards for No. 28—including an 11-yard burst on the second play of the game and a 25-yarder four plays later. 

The Lions punted on their first possession, in part due to two rushes that were stopped for no gain. 

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Peterson went back to work on Minnesota's third drive. After taking over at midfield, Peterson immediately ripped off gains of nine and six yards. On the drive's third play, a misdirection fake using Peterson sprung receiver Jarius Wright for a 29-yard gain on the reverse. Peterson couldn't punch in the score near the goal line, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was able to roll out off play action for an easy touchdown on fourth down. 

Peterson ended the first quarter with 13 carries, tying his career high for one quarter. 

After Detroit kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to 17-3, Peterson set up a field goal for Minnesota with a 49-yard catch-and-run after Bridgewater flipped him the ball while being sacked. 

"All Day" put the final nail in Detroit when he busted off a 26-yard run after the Lions cut Minnesota's lead to 26-16 late in the fourth quarter.

The revival in the Vikings run game did wonders for Bridgewater, who had a disappointing 2015 debut in San Francisco. Asked to throw just 18 times, the second-year quarterback completed 14 for 153 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 21 yards and a score. Rarely was Bridgewater asked to do too much, largely because his running back was so productive. 

Peterson led the Vikings in rushing and receiving, finishing with 192 total yards on 31 touches. 

Meanwhile, the Minnesota run defense rebounded in a major way.

Unable to replicate the power run game of the 49ers, Detroit attempted just 12 rushes to running backs. The dozen runs resulted in only 18 yards. Quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Lions in rushing with 20 yards. 

49ers running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings in Week 1. Humbled but hardly defeated, the Minnesota defense did not allow a run over seven yards to a running back on Sunday. 

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Forced to be one-dimensional, the Lions asked Stafford to throw 53 times. His numbers looked good by the final whistle—286 yards and two scores—but much of the yardage came late. The Vikings otherwise beat up Stafford, landing eight hits on the Lions quarterback. 

The Vikings now have a blueprint for winning this season. 

Every team wants to manhandle the line of scrimmage every week, but it appears to be especially important to this Minnesota team. When Peterson can run wild and the Vikings defense is able to make an offense one-dimensional, everything else falls into place. Bridgewater can be an efficient quarterback, and Zimmer's front four can get after the quarterback. 

The Vikings were blown out in the opener because neither chain reaction happened in San Francisco. Without Peterson getting touches, Bridgewater was under siege. Unable to stop the run, the Vikings defense couldn't get off the field. 

The script was flipped against the Lions. The Vikings will be a hard team to beat in 2015 if Sunday's formula can be replicated. 

Zach Kruse covers the Vikings for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2