Hyde hogs limelight in Peterson's quiet return

(Reuters) - Adrian Peterson watched his opposing running back dominate the night as he was relegated to second fiddle in his quiet return to the NFL on Monday. The Minnesota Vikings runner, who played in just one game last year after being banished for a child abuse indictment, entered the night as the game's big story but finished as a footnote in San Francisco's 20-3 victory. Instead, it was 49ers young running back Carlos Hyde who stole the spotlight, rumbling for 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Peterson was playing in his first game since Sept. 7, 2014, and managed just 10 carries for 31 yards. He caught an additional three passes for 21 yards. With the Vikings playing from behind and mostly passing, Peterson spent much of his time on the sidelines watching. The former league MVP took just four hand-offs in the first half and never got a chance to put his stamp on the contest. His lone highlight came in the second quarter when he took a short pass and dragged a host of 49ers defenders for about eight yards. Peterson, 30, is hoping to regain his form as the league's top back and help the Vikings become a contender with their second-year quarterback Terry Bridgewater. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)