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Adrian Peterson's fierce determination to return from ACL surgery for the 2012 season is inspiring -- to a point.

NFC West teams probably wouldn't mind if the Minnesota Vikings' All-Pro running back took his time. They have a stake in his readiness.

Peterson's Vikings face the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams at various points this season.

The 49ers, owners of the toughest run defense in the division, are scheduled to face Peterson only nine months after the injury, in Week 3. The Rams, who have spent the offseason addressing a defense that allowed at least 236 yards rushing to three opponents, would not face Peterson until Week 15, when Peterson will have had nearly a year to recover.

Peterson made the most of his one appearance against an NFC West team last season. He carried 29 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona in Week 5. The Cardinals' defense improved considerably later in the season before allowing a season-high 178 yards rushing to Seattle in Week 17.

The video above shows Peterson's intense rehab regimen. Watching him work out, it's hard to imagine he underwent such serious surgery such a short time ago.

Earlier: ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell on Peterson's rehab.

Good morning, NFC West, and welcome back from a s-s-s-low weekend in the division.

On the bright side, depending upon your perspective, we're only 76 days away from the Hall of Fame game between our own Arizona Cardinals and whichever New Orleans Saints employees remain in good standing with the NFL by Aug. 5.

While the Saints see rehab for their reputation, the Cardinals are focused on getting their running backs healthy.

Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams haven't played or practiced since undergoing knee surgeries. Wells underwent a less serious procedure, but his durability has been a concern dating to college. Williams is nine months into his rehab from a torn patella tendon; the one-year anniversary falls on Aug. 19.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals haven't done much to address the position, an indication both backs could be on track for 2012. Urban: "Williams, who is anxious to get back on the field right now, admits the team will likely not push him now, instead wanting to preserve him for camp. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the team takes the same tact with Beanie. He's made that work before. Last season, Beanie didn’t get any summer work -- no one did, because of the lockout -- and he still had a career-high 1,047 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns and a 4.3 per-carry average despite battling his knee injury most of the season." Noted: Wells has missed five games in two seasons. He had 228 yards against St. Louis in Week 12 and a combined 198 yards in four subsequent games to end the 2011 season.

Also from Urban: Undrafted rookie receiver Stanley Arukwe ran the 40-yard dash in a wind-aided 4.19 seconds this offseason.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch checks in with Rams general manager Les Snead for thoughts on where the team has improved this offseason. Snead on the defensive line: "We've got two young ends (in Chris Long and Robert Quinn). We've added (Kendall) Langford. We've got Darell Scott coming back. Bam! You throw in (Michael) Brockers, and all of a sudden that unit gets strong. Now the DL becomes a dominant unit."

Also from Thomas: Joe Long, brother of Jake, clears his own path.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch calls for calm over the Rams' stadium situation. Miklasz: "Less than 20 years ago, this region put up a lot of money to attract the Rams and enhance the convention-hosting capability in downtown St. Louis. We may ultimately decide to reject the allocation of additional public money for the stadium/convention center. Before our initial investment is essentially thrown in the river, before we dismiss the possibility of Kroenke and the NFL stepping in as our financial partners in this endeavor, we should at least make a sincere effort to see if this investment makes sense. That will require calm, rational discussion."

Howard Balzer outlines salary details for recent Rams additions Mario Haggan and Barry Richardson.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has this to say about Jim Harbaugh's recent comments regarding Michael Crabtree's sure hands: "I was reminded of last offseason when Harbaugh said Alex Smith was a 'very accurate passer.' Or when he said Smith was an 'elite' quarterback. Or when he insisted Smith deserved a spot in the Pro Bowl. Not only does Harbaugh always back his players publicly, he pumps up the players that are in need of a little inflating. Last year that was Smith, who had been kicked around like no other 49er in the last quarter century but who responded with the best season of his career. This year Crabtree may be getting the same kind of treatment."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers still have only one proven return specialist: Ted Ginn Jr.

Also from Maiocco: big plays for a 49ers Hall of Fame.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offers assorted 49ers notes, including this one: "Rather than report to the 49ers offseason conditioning program, franchise-tagged safety Dashon Goldson headed to South Florida and has hooked up with Bommarito Performance Systems. Among the 49ers who’ve previously worked with trainer Pete Bommarito are Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Kendall Hunter, Ricky Jean Francois, Tavaris Gooden and rookie Cam Johnson."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the team felt as though seventh-round draft choice Greg Scruggs was a bargain. A turf-toe injury slowed the defensive lineman at Louisville last season. Farnsworth: "Where Scruggs fits with the Seahawks remains to be seen, but for now he is working as a pass-rusher from the three-technique tackle spot as well as at the five-technique end position in the base defense -- a backup role that was filled last season by Anthony Hargrove, who signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times checks in with former Seahawks quarterback Jon Kitna, who is teaching math and coaching football at his high school alma mater. O'Neil: "It's not hard to imagine a former NFL quarterback filling his afternoons with football. It's tougher to imagine that same man -- a guy who was making $3 million last year -- arriving on campus at 7 a.m. and bringing breakfast for kids who need extra help, hosting a home room and then teaching two periods of algebra."

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle says Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin remembers one game more than any other last season: the one against Cleveland, when Baldwin finished with no receptions during a 6-3 defeat.

Imagine how many yards Marshawn Lynch might gain if the Seattle Seahawks had a Pro Bowl fullback.

OK, now. Stop imagining.

The NFL has named Seattle's Michael Robinson to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Green Bay fullback John Kuhn. Robinson played an important role in Lynch's 1,200-yard season. He also remained a key player on special teams.

We should expect Lynch to join Robinson on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster if the San Francisco 49ers advance to the Super Bowl.

Lynch was a second alternate to the NFC squad. LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte and Frank Gore earned NFC Pro Bowl honors at the position. Forte plans to play in the Pro Bowl despite suffering a knee injury. The first alternate, Adrian Peterson, is out with a knee injury. That puts Lynch in line to replace Gore if the 49ers advance.

A 49ers victory Sunday would also send Seattle cornerback Brandon Browner and strong safety Kam Chancellor to the Pro Bowl as alternates. Browner would replace the 49ers' Carlos Rogers. Chancellor would replace the 49ers' Dashon Goldson.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Greg Roman, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator, naturally wasn't going to disrespect an opponent heading into a playoff game.

Sure, the New Orleans Saints' opponents have averaged 5.0 yards per rushing attempt this season, the 29th-worst figure in the NFL, but there was an explanation.

"Those guys do a really good job against the run; I think statistics are misleading," Roman said Wednesday. "A lot of people have popped runs on them down by 30. What does that do? It inflates the stats. When they had to run, I didn't see those 30-yard runs."

Roman was correct in a sense. Indianapolis did break runs covering 42 and 24 yards when trailing the Saints by at least 30 points. Those runs were pretty much meaningless.

But the Saints' opponents also broke runs covering 42, 41, 39, 34 and 29 yards when the scoring margin was eight or fewer points either way, what we would consider to be one-score differentials. Opponents had 16 runs of 15 yards or longer in these situations.

The 49ers, by comparison, gave up no runs longer than 34 yards and only four longer than 18 yards. They were leading by 23 when Arizona broke a 34-yarder in Week 11. They were up by 13 when the Rams broke a 27-yarder in Week 17. The trailed Philadelphia by seven and led Pittsburgh by six when those teams broke runs for 24 and 21 yards, respectively.

The first chart shows all runs against the Saints by score differential. The second chart shows each run against the Saints covering 15-plus yards. There were 27 of them. The Saints led by six points on average at the time of those runs. The 49ers gave up 10 such runs by comparison. They led by three points on average during those runs.

Thanks to Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information for his assistance.
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Four of the 13 players with at least 1,000 yards rushing this season call the NFC West home.

All four run with power.

Two in particular -- Arizona's Beanie Wells and Seattle's Marshawn Lynch -- have racked up yardage after contact. Both rank among the NFL's top four in total yards after contact. And among those players with at least 1,000 yards, Wells and Lynch rank high in percentage of yards gained after contact (see chart, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information).

Week 17 gives us one last chance to see Wells, Lynch and St. Louis' Steven Jackson in action this season. Along with San Francisco's Frank Gore, they give the NFC West more 1,000-yard rushers than any division. The AFC North, AFC South and AFC West have two apiece. The AFC East, NFC East and NFC South have one apiece. The NFC North has none after injuries sidelined Matt Forte (997 yards) and Adrian Peterson (970).

Six other backs are within 150 yards of 1,000 this season: Shonn Greene (999), Chris Johnson (986), Fred Jackson (934), Michael Bush (911), DeMarco Murray (897) and Rashard Mendenhall (890). Murray is sidelined by injury.
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Marshawn Lynch has reached 100 yards rushing in six of the Seattle Seahawks' last eight games.

The Arizona Cardinals' ability to slow him will be a leading storyline when the teams play one another Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Lynch carried 19 times for 73 yards during a 13-10 victory over the Cardinals in Week 3. That 3.8-yard average benefited from a 23-yard run during a drive that otherwise went nowhere. The Cardinals prevented Lynch from controlling the game.

Lynch has become much more productive in recent weeks. He leads the NFL in rushing since Week 9. The Cardinals prevented him from scoring in Week 3, but Lynch has scored at least once in every subsequent game he has played. The 11-game streak is a Seahawks franchise record.

The Cardinals' defense, like Lynch, has improved as the season has progressed.

Steven Jackson and Adrian Peterson are the only players to reach 100 yards rushing against the Cardinals' defense this season. Will Lynch become the third?

Chart note: NFC West fans will notice Lynch's highest per-carry averages coming against the four NFC East opponents. The two lowest came against AFC North teams. He did not play against Cleveland.

SAN FRANCISCO -- NFC West teams play the late games Sunday. That means I've got no excuses if my Gridiron Challenge again features players named inactive on game day.

Yes, that was Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson leading a season-low 79-point showing for my team last week. Frank Gore finished with zero points. Cam Newton scored only 13. Taking a bargain-basement flyer on Eddie Royal worked out poorly, too.

Gore's status against Arizona stands as the primary fantasy-related issue in the NFC West this week. I've removed Gore from my lineup as a precaution, figuring the 49ers could limit his carries or even hold him out altogether. The team listed Gore as questionable Friday.

We'll get the lists of inactive players about 90 minutes before the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. I'll watch Gore during warm-ups and pass along what I see.

We're at that point during the Gridiron Challenge season when bye weeks have forced us to release top players or suffer through a scoreless bye week with them. I released Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson during their bye weeks and have tried to patch with value players, with mixed results.

msclemons67 is our outright leader with 1,398 points, having gotten 80 point last week from Arian Foster, Rodgers and DeMarco Murray alone. But with Matt Schaub suffering a foot injury, roster decisions await for Week 11.

Inside the 2011 NFC West Gridiron Challenge after Week 8:

• Leader: Da Ramzz, for the first time this season, by two points. Da Ramzz has scored at least 130 points in seven of the eight weeks. Very solid. Previous leader mboles52 is only seven points back after leading four weeks in a row.
• High score of the week: Coleyfudge, with 170 points. Getting 31 points from the Buffalo Bills' defense certainly helped.
• Lowest score on first page of leaderboard: Try Not to Suck, with 88 points. This was a calculated gamble or an oversight. Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Sebastian Janikowski and the Green Bay defense stayed on his roster despite having bye weeks. Try Not to Suck remains tied for 31st and in the 98.4 percentile anyway. Not bad.
• My team: tied for 208th out of 1,619 entries, 88.9 percentile. Up from 280th and 83.0 percentile. Cam Newton, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Steve Smith scored 99 of my 131 points in Week 8.
• My wife's team: tied for 679th place, 59.7 percentile. Down from 584th and 64.8. She's been under the weather, but that's no excuse. Mark Ingram was her running back. Olindo Mare was her kicker.
• Dan Graziano's team: tied for 340th, 80.7 percentile. Up from 408th and 75.1. Lots of NFC East flavor on our NFC East blogger's roster. Michael Vick, Tony Romo, Ryan Torain.
• Note of the week: Buying back Aaron Rodgers at $7.9 million hurt, particularly after getting only 14 points from Joe Flacco as a bye week replacement. I picked up Matt Cassel on the relative cheap and will go with Frank Gore and Matt Forte as my running backs. The St. Louis Rams were a cheap pickup on defense and a gamble, but with the Cardinals' quarterback situation unsettled, it could work out OK.

Graziano is keeping on the pressure. Can't see him leaving Torain in his lineup against San Francisco's defense.

Not that Frank Gore's candidacy for MVP needs defending, but just in case: The San Francisco 49ers' running back has gained 28.6 percent of his rushing yards against eight or more defenders in the box.

That's the highest percentage among all players with at least 400 yards rushing this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

I put together the chart below after Lotharun2 asked in the comments section of an earlier item where Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy ranked in yards against these stacked defenses.

McCoy has 17 carries for 72 yards against eight or more defenders in the box. That works out to a healthy 4.2-yard average. But with a dynamic quarterback and playmakers on the perimeter, the Eagles make it tougher for defenses to load up against the run. In my view, that explains why McCoy has gained a relatively low percentage of his runs against eight or more in the box.

The 49ers prefer heavier personnel groupings featuring two tight ends. They have enough speed at tight end to enjoy flexibility from these groupings, but the team has not consistently put an emphasis on downfield strikes.

Kevin Kolb is taking much of the blame for the Arizona Cardinals' 1-6 record. So is coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says some of the blame lies with a series of blunders in the draft. Somers: "Trade away a chance to take an elite pass rusher (Terrell Suggs, 2003), and a team could find itself trying to find a similar player for years. Miss on a quarterback (Matt Leinart, first round, 2006), and a team finds itself trying to solve the problem via free agency (Derek Anderson) or trade (Kevin Kolb). Miss on an outside linebacker (Cody Brown, second round, 2009), and a team has to gamble that an old free agent (Joey Porter) has something left. Miss on a left tackle (Levi Brown, first round, 2007), and a team might be continually reminded that it passed on a star running back (Adrian Peterson)."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic checks in with Cardinals backup quarterback Rich Bartel, who offers hunting advice. Bartel: "Feral hogs and javelinas are completely different, though. We've got javelinas here in Arizona, and they're smaller. They're really dangerous, and you can't use your (hunting) dogs on them because they'll kill your dog. Feral hogs you can use dogs on. They're bigger, but it's no problem for your dog."

Also from the Republic: reasons why the Cardinals' streak of no local TV blackouts has a chance to continue against the Rams even with about 2,000 tickets remaining.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says backup John Skelton is a popular guy with Kolb and the Cardinals struggling.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle goes to the whiteboard to break down the Seahawks' problems on fourth down Sunday, pointing to left guard Robert Gallery among the culprits for the failed Marshawn Lynch run as the first half ended.

Dave Wyman of 710ESPN Seattle says the Seahawks, and NFL referees, need to pick up their games when it comes to the rules.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Chris Clemons has been playing at a Pro Bowl level against run and pass alike. Farnsworth: "It’s not just that the 254-pound Clemons gets sacks, it’s how he gets them -- with relentless efforts against offensive linemen who outweigh him by 70-80 pounds. And it’s not just the sacks that define his role as the 'Leo' end in the Seahawks defense. As underrated as he is as a pass-rusher, Clemons is even more overlooked when it comes to his contributions to a run defense that ranks 11th in the league and tops the NFL in per-carry average allowed (3.16)."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times offers thoughts on the Seahawks, including this one: "Seattle finished with 411 yards of net offense, 159 more than the Bengals. It's the second time the Seahawks have lost despite outgaining their opponents while Seattle has been outgained in both of the games it has won this season. It's something to keep in mind as everyone goes ga-ga over the large passing totals this season. Yards don't always translate to victories."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sees good things from Rams linebackers Chris Chamberlain and Bryan Kehl. Thomas: "Chamberlain really has good range, doesn't he? He got to start several games last year on the weakside but wasn't nearly as effective. But he was playing hurt all last year, and is healthy this year. But he looks like he's blossoming as a player. He's a bit undersized, so he's not always going to hold up against the run. But he's looked good in space. Kehl made at least one eye-opening hit Sunday and also runs around well. Again, he's not ideal size, particularly for strongside linebacker, but he did bring some energy to the position."

Also from Thomas: a look at the Rams' patchwork secondary, which held up better than anticipated against Drew Brees and the Saints.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes in his offensive player-by-player review that Frank Gore played 53 snaps to Kendall Hunter's nine during the 49ers' victory over the Browns. Also, regarding Alex Smith: "Again, he did not have any turnovers. . . Showed athleticism in first quarter when he avoided pass-rusher Jabaal Sheard in the pocket about 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, scrambled right, avoided cornerback Joe Haden and dove head-first, eluding defensive tackle Phil Taylor to pick up 3 yards on a third-and-2 play. . . . Opened himself up to a big hit from safety Usama Young with a late slide at the end of a 9-yard keeper in fourth quarter. . . . On next play, overshot a wide-open Michael Crabtree 20 yards down the left sideline."

Also from Maiocco: player-by-player review on defense. On rookie corner Chris Culliver: "Entered game as 49ers' third cornerback and played 35 snaps. He had another good showing in coverage and he broke up one pass and recorded five tackles. . . . Had good coverage on pass intended for Little on third down down in first quarter."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through the injury list for running backs who start games against the 49ers this season.

Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee says Gore is perfectly happy. Gore: "I'm so happy, man. We're 6-1. We're winning. I'm just having fun.” In previous season's, “I was young, man. I was thinking about the Pro Bowls and other crazy stuff. I was selfish. Now, I'm not thinking about yards, just enjoying the ride."

Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers' Alex Boone has, by all accounts, overcome the off-field issues that threatened his career.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle offers thoughts on the 49ers' first-half performance against the Browns. Second half here.

Joey Porter played his final game for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2006 season. Clark Haggans was gone from the team a year later.

The veteran outside linebackers, now 34 years old, are scheduled to start for Arizona against their former team Sunday, a reflection of how the teams have drafted for defense recently.

In 2007, the year coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm left Pittsburgh's staff for the Cardinals, the Steelers drafted mainstay linebackers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. Much of the Steelers' defense is aging, but Timmons and Woodley are ascending young players approaching their primes. Woodley represents the type of outside linebacker the Cardinals have coveted, but have yet to land.

Arizona takes criticism for drafting tackle Levi Brown over running back Adrian Peterson in 2007, but decisions made in addressing the defense stand out with Timmons and Woodley coming to town. That was the year Arizona used a second-round choice for defensive lineman Alan Branch, now reborn in Seattle after falling short of expectations in Arizona. The Cardinals used their third-round pick in 2007 on linebacker Buster Davis, who was cut as a rookie.

The Cardinals bounced back in 2008 by drafting defensive end Calais Campbell in the second round. Two other early defensive choices that year -- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Arizona and Bruce Davis for Pittsburgh -- have changed teams. Rodgers-Cromartie went to a Pro Bowl with the Cardinals before the team traded him to Philadelphia. Davis, a third-round choice, was released after one season.

In 2009, the Steelers landed defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, who has played more than 70 percent of the defensive snaps this season. Arizona drafted Cody Brown, a second-round choice who never contributed, before selecting defensive backs Rashad Johnson (starting for the injured Kerry Rhodes) and Greg Toler (incumbent starter now on injured reserve).

The Cardinals have initially fared better than the Steelers in drafting for defense in 2010. They got nose tackle Dan Williams, ascending inside linebacker Daryl Washington and pass-rushing project O'Brien Schofield. The Steelers drafted linebacker Jason Worilds, who has made a positive contribution on special teams without factoring into the defense yet.

The chart shows defensive players the teams drafted in the first three rounds from 2007-09.

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The facts: The Cardinals fell to 1-4 after suffering a 34-10 road defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Cornerback A.J. Jefferson jumped a pass route early in the game and nearly came away with an interception. He broke up this pass and another one on third down later in the first half. Jefferson also made an impressive open-field tackle on Adrian Peterson for a 1-yard gain.
• Receiver Early Doucet caught eight passes for 92 yards. Both figures were game-highs. Doucet showed tremendous effort in the third quarter with his diving attempt at a first down along the sideline while his team was trailing by three scores. Doucet nearly had a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty negated the play.
• Michael Adams downed a Cardinals punt at the Minnesota 2-yard line early in the second quarter. He downed another one inside the 5 shortly before halftime.
• Running back Beanie Wells provided physical running in the open field when he had the chance, running over cornerback Cedric Griffin with enough force to send Griffin onto his back, helmet flying.
• Arizona converted a season-high 44 percent of its third-down opportunities on offense.
• Linebacker Daryl Washington finished the game with a sack, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
• Cornerback Richard Marshall forced a fumble in the third quarter. Linebacker Clark Haggans received credit on the stat sheet, but Marshall appeared to play a leading role in the play.
• Quarterback Kevin Kolb hung in the pocket until the last second, inviting punishment before delivering strikes to Doucet and Larry Fitzgerald as the Cardinals moved into position for their lone touchdown.
• Tight end Jeff King was a reliable target on underneath passes, catching five for 35 yards.

Looking ahead: The Cardinals have their bye in Week 6, followed by a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Arizona Cardinals somehow fell behind the 0-4 Minnesota Vikings by a 28-0 score in the first quarter Sunday.

They're down 28-3 midway through the second quarter.

A trip through Pro Football Reference shows 10 NFL games since 1940 with one team scoring 28 or more first-quarter point while the other team scored none.

Not the way the Cardinals wanted to head into their bye week. Adrian Peterson has three touchdown runs already for the Vikings.

Inside the 2011 NFC West Gridiron Challenge after Week 4:

• Leader: mboles52, who overtook two-week leader Billy Shears. His lineup: Aaron Rodgers (47 points), Drew Brees (19), Adrian Peterson (8), Darren McFadden (11), Calvin Johnson (21), Andre Johnson (3), Jimmy Graham (19), Nick Folk (5), Ravens defense (25).
• High score of the week: digitool, with 184 points. Lineup: Rodgers (47), Michael Vick (31), Beanie Wells (31), Maurice Jones-Drew (8), DeSean Jackson (17), Steve Smith (18), Vernon Davis (10), David Akers (6), Green Bay Packers (16).
• My team: tied for 481st place out of 1,508 entries, 68.8 percentile. Down from 418th place and 71.2 percentile last week. Johnson's hamstring injury proved costly, limiting the Houston Texans receiver to three points.
• My wife's team: tied for 164th, 89.5 percentile. Down from 66th place and 95.7 percentile. She got a combined eight points from Mike Wallace and Rob Gronkowski. Sorry to hear about that.
• Dan Graziano's team: tied for 650th, 58.1 percentile. Another shutout at tight end with Antonio Gates in the lineup.
• NFC West matchup to watch: Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian and the Minnesota Vikings' receivers against the Arizona Cardinals' defense. The Vikings haven't been a big-play passing team. Harvin and Berrian have no receptions longer than 22 yards. The Cardinals' defense has allowed 23 pass plays of at least 20 yards, the second-highest total in the league behind New England's 30. Something figures to give.

Who is your fantasy sleeper play of the week?

Sometimes an NFL coach will gloss over an opponent's weakness.

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave took a more direct approach when asked about attacking the Arizona Cardinals' young cornerbacks entering Week 5.

"We definitely have a plan to throw on those guys," Musgrave told reporters in Minnesota. "We want to get some balls airborne in their direction. Both their guys are young and talented, but we feel confident with our receivers matching up with them."

Arizona's Patrick Peterson and A.J. Jefferson have struggled at times. The safety play hasn't been perfect in support, either. And the Cardinals' pass-rush issues play into the situation quite a bit, too. All things considered, though, Arizona will probably go into this game most concerned about slowing running back Adrian Peterson.

The chart shows 2011 stats for Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb based on how far his passes traveled past the line of scrimmage. The deep ball hasn't been a strength to this point.