Adrian Peterson Comments on Norv Turner, Role in Vikings Offense

Usually, when a player misses an extended period of time, like Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson has, it takes some time to build back up to a professional level of play. But the veteran running back enters Week 4 leading the NFL in rushing, succeeding under a "legend" of an offensive coordinator in Norv Turner.

After he rushed for just 31 yards in the season opener, Peterson has racked off 134- and 126-yard games, giving Turner his due when speaking to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com:

"

I don't request anything. [Turner]'s been doing it a long time. He's a legend. He's made some good adjustments. I can't tell him what to do. He's been doing it a lot longer than me.

"

The only thing Peterson has verbalized, he said, is that he likes getting the ball in the I formation.

Turner is in his second year as Minnesota's offensive coordinator and only got one regular-season game with Peterson last season before the running back was suspended for the rest of 2014.

Turner had his work cut out for him with a rookie quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater) who was unable to rely on the franchise player for support. The Vikings managed to finish the season at 7-9, a respectable mark for a team with such a grim forecast at the beginning of the year.

While the team's offense is near the bottom of the league in total yards per game (294.0) after three weeks this year, the rushing offense, led by Peterson, ranks third in the NFL (144.3). At 2-1 after a win against a San Diego Chargers team that Turner used to coach, the Vikings are in second place in the NFC North. It seems like the plan for success is clear for Turner—keep putting the ball in Peterson's hands.

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.