Adrian Peterson says he 'didn't sign up for nine snaps' with Saints

Kevin Spain | USA TODAY

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Joining a team that runs a pass-heavy offense with one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, Adrian Peterson probably didn't have any visions of being the same offensive centerpiece for the New Orleans Saints that he was with the Minnesota Vikings.

But Peterson, whose glare at Saints coach Sean Payton during Monday night's game against the Vikings became one of the viral images of the first week, said he thought he would be used more than he was in the opener.

"I didn't sign up for nine snaps, though," Peterson told reporters Thursday. "But unfortunately that's the way the game played out. In my mind, personally, I knew it was gonna take some adjusting. You know, me and Mark (Ingram) played in the last preseason game, and AK (rookie running back Alvin Kamara) didn't even play that game. So with all three of us being out there, I knew it would take a game or so to kind of get adjusted."

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In his nine snaps, Peterson had six carries for 18 yards. The Saints lost to the Vikings 29-19 and pretty much stopped running the ball in the fourth quarter as they tried to cut Minnesota's lead. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 291 yards.

Peterson was a non-factor in the passing game, as he had no catches and was targeted just once. Ingram had five catches for 54 yards on five targets and Kamara had four for 20 on six targets.

As far as the stare at Payton, Peterson said the moment was overblown.

"It was definitely overdramatized," Peterson said. "Of course, with the heat of the game, me being back in Minnesota and things like that, just catching that look – that intense look on my face, like I had – I actually got some laughs out of some of the memes that were made."

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