Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson has 684 rushing yards, good enough for second in the NFL but vows to have a better second half. "To be honest, and it's not about individual stats or anything like that with me, but I really don't feel like I have performed well in the first half, especially watching the film," Peterson said in a teleconference. "I really haven't played my best ball this year at all." Peterson rushed for 121 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, against the Bears two weeks ago in what he considers his best game of the season. "I really see a lot of things I was doing differently in that game that I'm going to take on to the second half," Peterson said. "I just look forward to doing better the second half, which I am going to do. I'm just going to help my team any way I can."

Vikings' receiver Bernard Berrian says that sometimes there's nobody at the other end of the line on the NFL's hotline for players if they want to find out if supplements contain ingredients banned by the league. Berrian said in an interview on Sirius satellite radio that he has tried twice to call the hotline and never got a call back before getting a reply on his third attempt. "You've got to take some responsibility and call into that hotline [to inquire about the legality of certain products]," Berrian said. "But I know one thing about that hotline. I've called twice before and actually never gotten a hold of anybody sometimes. So even when you try to do the right thing, sometimes it is still hard to get a hold of somebody and really find out what you're really taking." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the league would "follow up" on Berrian's comments to make sure the hotline is operating properly.

Vikings' defensive end Jared Allen believes fines in the NFL are getting out of hand and are starting to restrict players' freedom of speech. "The First Amendment's out the window," Allen said. "I say something wrong, I could get another fine. I might get fined for that. I'll tell you what, I think it's kind of getting out of hand. There comes a point to where we have to be able to play this game." Allen was fined $5,000 for his unnecessary roughness penalty against Chicago in Week 7. "Tempers are going to flare," Allen said. "People are going to disagree with the ref's call. They're going to say something. But at some point, where do you cross the line? They're taking away our God-given right to express our feelings and our emotions. Last time I checked, we live in America. We have freedom of speech, but not in the NFL."

Six to eight NFL players are under investigation for violating the league's drug policy by taking a weight-loss diuretic that is considered a masking agent for steroids. Saints' running back Deuce McAllister confirmed Sunday that he is being investigated although he stopped short of saying he had tested positive. Defensive end Will Smith of the Saints and defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Vikings also have been identified in various reports.

The Vikings reportedly offered the Browns their 2009 and 2010 first-round picks for quarterback Brady Quinn prior to last Tuesday's deadline. After considering the deal, Cleveland declined.

The last time Vikings running back Adrian Peterson battled the Bears at Solider Field he ran wild for 224 yards on twenty carries. "I really can't explain," Peterson says looking back on the game. "We just did a great job on offense executing. Those guys did a great job making blocks. It led to some big plays." Peterson added three touchdowns in Week Six of the 2007 season at Chicago. Three weeks later, he ran for 296 yards against the Chargers at home. This season the Bears are among the best at stopping the run. They have allowed just 74.3 yards per game in 2008, after letting the opposing team rack up an average of 122.9 yards last season.

Vikings receiver Bernard Berrian expects to receive boos this Sunday when he returns to Chicago for the first time since leaving via free agency this spring. "It's definitely going to be a tough game, hostile environment," Berrian said, "I can't wait." Berrian signed a six-year contract with Minnesota for $16 million guaranteed and the chance to make as much as $42 million.

The fans booed the Vikings off the field at halftime, beginning chants of "Fire Childress" on more than one occasion in the second half, a reference to their lack of satisfaction with Coach Brad Childress. The players' disgust came later. "This game should have been a blowout," wide receiver Bernard Berrian said.

Lions' quarterback Dan Orlovsky will get the first start of his professional career on Sunday against the Vikings. Jon Kitna, who had started 36-straight games for Detroit, will not play because of an injured back. Orlovsky replaced Kitna in the second half of last Sunday's loss to the Bears, going 13-for-23 with 97 yards and an interception.

Vikings' Coach Brad Childress says that punter Chris Kluwe wasn't supposed to kick to Saints' running back Reggie Bush on his final two punts. "I felt, overall, I had a good game," Kluwe said. "But it's unfortunate that Reggie Bush is a great punt returner." Kluwe kicked great in the first half but was instructed to kick his final two punts out of bounds. Instead, Bush returned both for touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters. "Both of those kicks are supposed to be out of bounds," Childress said, "and when you say to somebody kick the ball out of bounds, that's what you expect to happen." "That's what I expect to happen with a professional football kicker." Childress hinted that he could find someone else to punt. "You know what? If he can't do that, I'll find someone that can kick the ball out of bounds," Childress added.