Adrian Peterson

Even with Adrian Peterson back, the Vikings couldn’t keep up with a team that’s always hot at home. Andy Dalton threw four touchdown passes, and Peterson spent most of the second half watching from the bench as the Cincinnati Bengals finished off a 42-14 victory on Sunday that clinched a playoff spot for them.

The Philadelphia Eagles were soaring after a big win in the snow the week before. This game was inside. Adrian Peterson was missing. The stage was set for another step toward the playoffs. Well, Matt Cassel and the Minnesota Vikings just made the flight path a bit bumpier.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has shed the walking boot on his sprained right foot, but he's not ready for practice.

The Vikings would have loved to remember Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens for the experience of playing — and winning — in the snow. Instead, Minnesota absorbed another painful defeat, 29-26, and lost running back Adrian Peterson to a foot injury. The Vikings also were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

The Minnesota Vikings have ruled Christian Ponder out for Sunday's game at Baltimore, because the quarterback has not yet passed all of his post-concussion tests.

Adrian Peterson is signed on to playing for the Minnesota Vikings until 2017. However, he suggested on the SVP and Russillo show Thursday that he may want to play for a team in the Lonestar State.

Adrian Peterson thought his Minnesota Vikings had won and lost the game against Chicago about three times during a dizzying, exhilarating overtime. Peterson carried the ball 35 times for 211 yards and Blair Walsh kicked a 34-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Vikings to a wild 23-20 victory over the Bears on Sunday.

Minnesota let a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter slip away, and the Vikings and Green Bay could muster only field goals in overtime Sunday to settle for a 26-26 tie.

After losing three games this year in the final minute, the Vikings finally pulled one out. Adrian Peterson ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and the Minnesota defense forced Robert Griffin III into three straight incompletions from the 4 in the final seconds to hold on for a 34-27 victory over the Washington Redskins Thursday night.

Homecoming for Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder went from sweet to sour at the last minute. Tony Romo answered Peterson’s go-ahead touchdown by throwing the winning pass to Dwayne Harris with 35 seconds remaining, and the Dallas Cowboys avoided an upset with a 27-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.