Opposing gameplans have Vikings' Adrian Peterson cursing to himself

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

WATFORD, England — Reigning MVP Adrian Peterson says all his goals this season remain within reach, both for himself and the Minnesota Vikings.

But if there was any doubt about how hard opponents will be working to stop him all season, Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz erased it after the Sept. 8 opener, in which Peterson scored a 78-yard touchdown on his first carry — and 15 yards total on the next 17.

"The head coach came up to me and was like, 'We've been game-planning for you for a month, and the first play, you broke it for 78 yards,' " Peterson told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday.

"(Bleep.) A month y'all been game-planning to stop the run? (Bleep.) Y'all better do a good job. (Bleep.) That's what we're facing. Guys are coming in, and they know our run game. They're doing everything they can to stop it. It's not easy."

Peterson actually is ahead of his early pace from last season, when he gained just 230 yards over his first three games following knee reconstruction surgery. He ended up with 2,097 yards, 9 short of breaking Eric Dickerson's record.

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Peterson has 281 yards on 69 carries (4.1 average) in three games this season but has expressed frustration with himself for, among other things, sometimes being too hesitant at the line.

"People are just so stuck on how we ended and how the running game was at the end of last year," Peterson said. "And we expect things to go and flow from the first week as well. But it's the National Football League. Things don't always happen that way.

"The only thing we can do is just continue to control the things we can control, continue to get better, improve, play stronger, play faster, make sure those swings that I'm taking out there when I get the ball, I'm making them count, and things will open up for us."

Peterson, 28, told USA TODAY Sports in August he was dead serious about his stated goal of rushing for 2,500 yards, which would obliterate Dickerson's 29-year-old record of 2,105.

He'd now have to average 170.7 yards per game to get to 2,500, outpacing even his 159.8-yard average over the last 10 games of 2012. But he downplayed his stats Wednesday.

"The ultimate goal is to win a championship," Peterson said. "Yards — I don't really care. Y'all make more about the yardage than me. It's cool, but I'm not really worried about the yards. I'm worried about getting some Ws."

The Vikings haven't gotten any of those yet. They're 0-3 entering Sunday's game against the 0-3 Pittsburgh Steelers, who are tied for 22nd in the NFL this season in rushing yards allowed.

Through three games, the Vikings rank 13th in rushing, which is a product in part of not having significant leads to protect so far. Their inability to throw consistently only has increased defenses' ability to gang up against the run — just like how Schwartz got Peterson cursing.

"I didn't say that back to him, but that's what I was thinking in my head," Peterson said. "It really went to show guys really respect our run game, and that's their main focus when they play the Minnesota Vikings is to stop us."

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Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero