When the Minnesota Vikings traded to acquire Mike Wallace, many believed he would be the team's top performer. However, the return of Adrian Peterson has Teddy Bridgewater handing the ball off more than taking it to the air. Wallace has 12 catches for 150 yards which is down from what he had with the Miami Dolphins last season, but the wide receiver is making sure not to complain about the things right now.
Wallace is making it clear that while he would like the ball thrown more his way, Peterson is running too well to not give him the ball. The Week 3 win over the San Diego Chargers was a vintage performance out of the running back and Wallace is well aware of that.
"This is a totally different offense that we're running," Wallace said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "We have a whole different type of running back. When you have a guy running the way he's running, you keep running."
This is the first season Bridgewater is getting the leading rusher and is certainly enjoying the benefits of an upgraded run game. On Sunday, the Vikings ran the ball on 30 of their 54 offensive players. That certainly helped since Bridgewater's throwing was not nearly as sharp going 13 of 24 for just 121 yards and an interception.
The Vikings have a wide receiver group that can carry the offense. Alongside Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright and Stefon Diggs are solid options to throw to while Kyle Rudolph manages the tight end spot. However, the run game is taking the focus considering Peterson has fresh legs are missing almost the entire 2014 season. It is paying off with the team being 2-1. The Vikings do need improvement from Bridgewater if they are going to keep the offense more balanced throughout the season. The quarterback's production is down from last season, but Peterson believes Bridgewater has the short-term memory to improve quickly.
"That's something that [Bridgewater] has, he's very competitive," Peterson said, via ESPN.com. "He doesn't get down on himself too much. He knows that, 'Hey, you have to go to the next play and keep looking forward and not dwell.' Got to have a short memory when you're playing the quarterback position.''
Going up against the Denver Broncos' pass defense will be tough. The team has one of the best units in the league right now and will pressure Bridgewater. If he has an off game, Peterson can expect to once again be the majority of the offense going forward.
