Vikings running back Adrian Peterson believes that his troubles holding onto the football are over. Peterson had two fumbles and a botched hand-off in Minnesota's loss to New Orleans in the NFC title game this past January. "Holding it high," he said. "I found out by studying myself that when I'm going down I kind of brace myself with the hand I'm carrying the ball in, and that's leaving opportunities for those guys that are reaching and scraping and punching for that ball." Since the start of his career in 2007, Peterson leads the league with 20 fumbles, losing 13 of them. "He's such a talented back and he runs so hard that I think it's almost instinctual for him that he lets that ball loose a little bit sometimes," Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "I don't know how you correct that. I don't know how he corrects it. I hope he hasn't corrected it, to be honest with you. But he's a very, very talented back, and he definitely has my respect."