EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Adrian Peterson shouldn't have any reason to get "hot" at Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier this week.
Peterson returned to practice for Minnesota on Friday and is expected to play in Sunday's game at Cincinnati as long as he doesn't have any setbacks with his sprained right foot. The league's second-leading rusher, Peterson is listed as questionable for the Vikings (4-9-1).
"I'm looking forward to playing this week," Peterson said Friday. "Get another day to rest tomorrow, which is going to be good. As far as the foot goes, I'll be ready to go."
Peterson missed last week's game after spraining his foot a week earlier at Baltimore. Though he returned to practice on a limited basis last Friday, Frazier held Peterson out of Sunday's 48-30 win against Philadelphia. Frazier said it wasn't an easy conversation with Peterson, who admitted to being "hot" and devastated" about having to sit out.
"Because I felt I was to the point where I was ready to go," Peterson said. "My mind was ready to get out there and play. I'm in game mode and then I find out that I'm not playing. No matter what I had to say, that's what it was. That's why it was tough. But fortunately we got a win, so that kind of ease the pain a little bit."
Frazier expects Peterson to play this week, but wanted to make sure the NFL MVP didn't have any setbacks prior to Sunday's game. Peterson was limited in Friday's practice.
"We didn't have him do every rep, but enough where he would feel confident and we would feel confident," Frazier said. "So it was encouraging with some of the things he was able to do."
Peterson trails Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy by 122 rushing with two games left and said he still feels the rushing title is within his grasp.
"Yeah, it's not over 200 yards, so it's still in play," Peterson said, saying earlier: "I look at it, any competitor would want to be at the top of the game. I play this game to be the best. So with that, leading the league goes along."
Minnesota should also have Peterson's backup, Toby Gerhart, in the lineup after he missed last week with a hamstring injury. He's listed as probable. The Vikings said rookie cornerback Xavier Rhodes will be out Sunday because of a sprained ankle. Tight end John Carlson is doubtful after having a relapse of concussion symptoms on Thursday.