EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Jerick McKinnon took the handoff left and hit heavy traffic in his own end zone, bouncing off a Minnesota blocker to find a different route out of the end zone.Somehow, he avoided the safety.Racing right, the young running back scampered through a crease in the middle of the field to carve out a 10-yard gain for the Vikings in the second quarter of the exhibition opener at Cincinnati last week. McKinnon caught a short pass to convert a third-and-2 on the next play, too, extending a drive that ended with a long touchdown throw by Teddy Bridgewater.McKinnons diverse set of skills and the nature of successful offenses in the NFL have made one of the smallest players on Minnesotas roster one of the most important. Meaningless preseason games or not, McKinnons value is set up for another increase this season.Its a good situation for me, I feel, he said, alluding to the presence of Adrian Peterson in front of him.For the Vikings, too.We want to be able to use Jerick a lot. Im hopeful that he has a very good year, coach Mike Zimmer said. Hes a great kid. He works real hard. Doesnt hardly ever make mistakes.The fact that Peterson has turned 31 is only part of this equation. If any player in the league can defy the limits of at-his-age production, Peterson is probably him. He led the NFL last season with 1,485 yards rushing with only six carries that netted more than 25 yards, all behind an offensive line that never found its footing.Peterson simply isnt the same threat when down and distance dictates a pass, in terms of both catching ability and blitz pickup. McKinnon can handle those tasks more to the coaching staffs liking, and he brings the shift in style and stature that can be an effective change to throw at a team geared up for Peterson.There are certain games where theyre really going to struggle with a guy like him, and there are certain games that it may not be the best fit, offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. So those are the decisions we make on a week-to-week basis, but its nice having him because we know hes an explosive player.McKinnons versatility as a running back, wide receiver, cornerback and option quarterback at Georgia Southern in college earned him the nickname Jet and a selection by the Vikings in the third round of the 2014 draft. He averaged 6.1 yards per touch in his second year in the league on 52 carries and 21 catches. Turner acknowledged the possibility of putting both McKinnon and Peterson in the backfield for certain plays.Its only smart to use that guy and put him in there against different defenses, so we can take advantage of him, said Peterson, who often has a hard time conceding the benefit of fewer snaps for him.To stay on the field more, the 5-foot-9 McKinnon must be able to withstand the jarring contact that comes with carrying the ball in the NFL. Peterson said hes noticed his position mate become more of a physical runner through the middle. McKinnon said he gained 11 pounds during the offseason to get to 206 pounds.That was something last year I kind of had trouble with, keeping my weight, McKinnon said. Its hard, coming out here. Youve just got to stay dedicated to eating. Its hard, being out here for so long, youre not really hungry going in, but youve got to push yourself to eat.Even with the extra pounds, McKinnon joked recently that his fellow running backs, even the rookies, still treat him like the little brother in the room.His impact on the Vikings this season ought to his outreach his size, though.I just feel its all coming together, McKinnon said. I just think if I get the opportunity to be able to contribute more, I feel like Ill have a lot to showcase.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Nike Air Max Womens White 2018 . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Nike Air Max Womens White Red .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. http://www.nikeairmaxwomenswhite.com/ . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Nike Air Max Womens White Orange .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Nike Air Max Womens White Green . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. The Los Angeles Dodgers say demoted outfielder Yasiel Puigs activity on social media following a Monday night loss in Triple-A will be handled internally.Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made the announcement Tuesday, hours after Puig posted videos to his Snapchat account showing him partying with his new Oklahoma City teammates after a 3-2 loss at the Iowa Cubs.While we are disappointed in his and some of our other players judgment, this is a matter we will address internally, Friedman said.Puig, a major league All-Star in 2014, was optioned to Oklahoma City last week after the Dodgers could not find a taker for him before the non-waiver trade deadline. Tuesday, in his third game with Oklahoma City, Puig connected for his first home run with the Triple-A team.Following Mondays defeat, Puig posted a video of himself shirtless in the teams locker room, smiling and saying: Its so funny. We lose today, and everybodys happy.Videos posted later showed Puig and his teammates dancing, singing and chanting, often using profanity.A banner on one of the videos reads, I Love this Team.I was surprised. I didnt see it until a little bit ago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday about the video. But were going to take care of things. His goal is, and should be, to continue to be a better baseball player, so well handle it.Roberts, who indicated last week that the demotion was made in order to improve Puig as a player and a person, said he will not allow this situation to distract him and the team.I think that every organizatiion will make decisions on how to handle things, and there are obviously liberties that every player deserves, certainly, Roberts said.ddddddddddddSo well kind of handle it accordingly. For me, I just want to focus on the guys here.In the video, Puig and his teammates made a reference to Rob Segedin, who replaced Puig on the Dodgers roster after being called up from Oklahoma City. Segedin said the videos have been taken out of context and were just inside jokes meant to rally the club.The team hasnt been playing that well of late, Segedin said. It was a lot of inside jokes and stuff that, when you put it on the internet, people can judge it a certain way. Those guys down there are trying to have fun. Ive been there all year, and I know how the team works. There is nothing offensive toward me or anything like that. Those guys are great friends of mine.The incident comes two days after Puig indicated to reporters through a translator that he was using his demotion to get his act together in order to get back to the majors.Hes not there because of his conduct, the way hes acting, said Luis Matos, the Oklahoma City coach who interpreted for Puig on Sunday. Thats why hes here, to get better in that part of his life and his game.Puig was pressed on what Matos meant by the way hes acting.Everybody knows, Matos said, without asking Puig the question.ESPNs Doug Padilla and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '