MINNEAPOLIS — Cornerback Xavier Rhodes had a rough first half in the Vikings’ 19-9 victory over Washington on Thursday night at U.S. Bank Stadium as quarterback Case Keenum went at the veteran on several occasions.

Rhodes was called for pass interference early in the second quarter when he made contact with wide receiver Terry McLaurin on third down on a pass to the sideline. The penalty put the ball at the Vikings 2-yard line but Washington only came away with a Dustin Hopkins field goal.

It was Rhodes’ seventh penalty in eight games and came four days after Rhodes also had issues in coverage in a win at Detroit.

“Honestly, there was a couple plays in there that they’re catching a hitch and they got it for the first down,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “I’m talking to him about being over the top on receivers because that’s what we’re trying to do. And I always tell them, ‘If they throw those balls then I need to change the coverage.’ Now the one down the sideline that was pass interference, whew, I don’t know. I would have challenged it if I thought that there was any chance of them overturning it, but I got a thing in the e-mail today that they haven’t overturned any so I said, ‘screw it.'”

Zimmer also said despite the penalties Rhodes needs to continue to play his physical style. The issue is that’s now getting called more and more.

“This guy has to play like a power forward,” Zimmer said. “That’s how he has to play. That’s his game. If he doesn’t play like a power forward … he’s not going to play like Mackensie (Alexander) or Mike Hughes or one of these little guys. He’s got to play as a power forward and if he gets some penalties he’s going to get some. We talk to him about getting his hands in the right place and don’t grab and those things like that. But his game is being a power forward and that’s what he has to do.”

Rhodes was knocked out of the game early in the third quarter when he and Washington tight end Jeremy Sprinkle had a helmet-to-helmet collision after a 6-yard reception. Rhodes underwent concussion testing but was eventually cleared to return.

ADRIAN GETS EMOTIONAL

Adrian Peterson spent 10 seasons (2007-2016) with the Vikings and established himself as one of the NFL’s best running backs during that time. Peterson returned on Thursday with Washington and rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards. This came despite the fact Peterson was playing on a sprained ankle suffered Sunday against San Francisco.

Peterson, who did not receive a warm welcome when he came back as a member of the New Orleans Saints in the first game of the 2017 season and rushed for only 18 yards on six carries, heard a much different response this time as the Vikings’ game operations staff showed him on both of the giant video boards in U.S. Bank Stadium during the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter.

A graphic that showed that Peterson had moved into sixth place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list was displayed as the future Hall of Fame running back stood on the sideline and acknowledged the cheers and chants of “AP.”

“I had to hold tears back, to be honest,” said Peterson, the Vikings’ all-time rushing leader with 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. “It was special, a special moment. … Just coming back and seeing the love they still have for me and they showed, man, it felt good,” Peterson said. “Even in defeat I’m able to embrace it and take it for what it was and it meant a lot. I spent a decade here so just to see that ovation and the love they showed it was meaningful.”

Peterson passed both Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson on the all-time rushing list Thursday and now has 13,701 yards. He is 400 yards behind Curtis Martin for fifth place.

“It means a lot,” Peterson said of surpassing Bettis and Tomlinson. “Came to the game expecting to climb the ladder and these guys I’m passing are the ones that paved the way for me. I loved LT growing up and Bettis, big boy running that ball extremely hard. That’s kind of how I got some of my motivation to be really aggressive, watching him banging in there. To look up on the screen and see that I passed those guys it’s humbling. But this is what I set forth to accomplish.”

After the game, Peterson and Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook exchanged greetings on the field.

TAKING A CHANCE

The Vikings were leading 16-9 in the third quarter and facing fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line, when Zimmer decided to go for it by having Kirk Cousins attempt a sneak. Cousins, however, was stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no gain and Washington appeared to be in great shape.

After Peterson gained 4 yards to the Vikings 30, Haskins overthrew McLaurin and the pass was intercepted by safety Anthony Harris.

So what happened on the sneak?

“I thought it was there,” Cousins said. “That nose guard over the center and both my guards were uncovered, so I felt like it was basically a three-on-one. The key is how much you need to get? I basically needed to get three-quarters of a yard. This wasn’t a yard and a half. If they load up those gaps you can’t do it.

“But I thought it was a three-on-one basically with two guards and our center on the nose. I just had to find the soft spot and for whatever reason it didn’t happen. Credit the nose guard for the Redskins. He must have done a great job holding his ground and he’s a good player. But that one was tough. Obviously, the interception bailed us out. But I would have loved to have hit that and then been able to keep that drive alive.”

KEENUM INJURED

Keenum made his return to U.S. Bank Stadium, playing his first game in the building since his pass to Stefon Diggs on the final play gave the Vikings a victory over New Orleans in a 2017 playoff game that put Minnesota in the NFC title game in Philadelphia.

Keenum, who signed with Denver after that season as the Vikings pursued Cousins, completed 12 of 16 passes for 130 yards and was sacked twice before being forced to leave the game at halftime because of a concussion.

Keenum, traded to Washington last offseason, was injured in the second quarter when Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph’s sack of the quarterback resulted in Keenum’s head hitting the turf at the Minnesota 12-yard line. Keenum ran one more play in the half — an incomplete pass — before Hopkins kicked a 30-yard field goal.

Rookie Dwayne Haskins, Washington’s top pick in last April’s draft, replaced Keenum and finished 3 of 5 for 33 yards with an interception.

ODDS AND ENDS

Zimmer will give his players the weekend off before bringing them back on Monday to begin preparation for the Nov. 3 game at Kansas City. Zimmer said “there’s a good chance” wide receiver Adam Thielen will return for that game. Thielen missed the first game of his NFL career on Thursday because of a hamstring injury suffered last Sunday in Detroit.

Cook had 98 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown and also caught five passes (on six targets) for 73 yards. He leads the NFL with 823 yards rushing and has more than 100 yards on the ground in five of eight games this season. “Dalvin’s a great player,” Zimmer said of Cook’s involvement in the passing game. “He can do pretty much anything he needs to do. We thought we had an opportunity to get some screens in against them tonight and that showed up quite a few times.”