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Answered prayer: Adrian Peterson scores on first drive with Cardinals

Adrian Peterson said his prayers were answered when he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe it was the Cardinals whose prayers were answered.

Peterson gave the Cardinals’ running game more life in his first drive with the team than it had since David Johnson’s injury. Peterson rushed four times for 54 yards with a 27-yard touchdown in his first drive in a Cardinals uniform. That’s pretty impressive less than a week after he was traded to Arizona from the New Orleans Saints. And he didn’t stop there. Peterson totaled 134 yards on 26 carries and added a 1-yard score to go with his earlier TD in the Cardinals’ 38-33 victory over Tampa Bay.

Arizona Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson (23) scored on his first series with his new team. (AP)
Arizona Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson (23) scored on his first series with his new team. (AP)

The Saints moved on from Peterson before the season started. They had veteran Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara impressed them. There was nothing left over for Peterson. The Cardinals desperately needed a boost at running back with Johnson out.

Even though it seemed a bit odd to try to find rejuvenation with the 32-year-old Peterson, it looked like a smart move right away. Peterson does have quite a résumé, of course. And if nothing else, Peterson has fresh legs after New Orleans didn’t use him.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!