Vikings’ Adrian Peterson mum on son after loss

Adrian Peterson wasn’t heard from much Sunday in the Vikings’ 35-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries and was virtually non-existent in the second half. Peterson was playing just two days after receiving news of the death of his 2-year-old son.

Not a lot has been reported about Peterson’s relationship with the boy and mother, and AP was reluctant to be heard about it after the game as well.

"“Can we focus on football? I’m not really trying to get into details on that,” Peterson told ESPN.com. “We just got blown out by 25 points. So let’s focus on football and what the Minnesota Vikings can do to get better.”"

The 2-year-old boy died Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., from injuries sustained during an alleged aggravated assault, police said. Joseph Patterson, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery in connection with the death.

Speculation has it that Patterson and the boy’s mother were dating at the time of the boys’ death. A source familiar with Patterson said that Peterson only recently found out that he was the boy’s biological father. It’s not clear whether Patterson was involved with the boy’s mother at the time of her affair with Peterson, however. Patterson is said to have a history of criminal behavior.