"Adrian Peterson staggered the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter Sunday with a series of punishing runs and emotionally draining scores, and then the Vikings' superstar running back buried the Cardinals with a clock-killing possession in the fourth quarter that expedited Minnesota's 34-10 victory at the Metrodome.

"He was at his best today. He played a terrific game," coach Leslie Frazier raved afterward.

Fulfilling his promise to lead the Vikings out of their winless fog through words and deeds, Peterson ran for a season-high 122 yards and three first-quarter touchdowns, which allowed them to finish an opponent instead of scrambling to recover from a second-half collapse. "