MJD: Peterson has a strong track record of recovering from knee surgery

Maurice Jones-Drew has had some experience with a torn meniscus, the same injury Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered last Sunday.

He knows that there are two ways of having it repaired — one that generally involves a shorter recovery and one that requires a longer one.

‘You can either clip it or stitch it’

“You can either clip it, which is a four-week recovery/rehab, depending on the tear size and what’s going on,” Jones-Drew told Bruce Murray on the SiriusXM Blitz. That was the option MJD had when he was an NFL running back.

“Or, you stitch it, and so obviously he decided to get it repaired, which is the stitching, and that’s more of a longer-term deal,” Jones-Drew explained. “Now back when the tight end, Jermichael Finley from the Packers had it, it was more of a year recovery. But obviously, with the way things are going, I would say three to five months is about the time range that I’ve seen guys go through that recovery process when they do get it stitched.

‘Peterson came back from ACL and won rushing title’

“There are positives and negatives in everything you do. When you’re talking about Adrian Peterson, this guy came back from ACL surgery and literally won the rushing title.”

 

Steelers’ Shazier: ‘Just trying to get one more Super Bowl for older guys’

The goal seems straightforward enough.

“I’m just trying to get us another Super Bowl,” Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on Late Hits.

‘Just trying to make as many plays as I can’

And by “us,” Shazier has some very specific teammates in mind.

“James Harrison, get him another one,” he said. “Ben Roethlisberger, all the older guys. I’m just trying to get them one more before they step out on us. But I’m just trying to do everything I can and make as many plays as I can just to show everybody what I can do. I know I missed a lot of time and I’m doing everything I possibly can to stay on the field, so when I’m on the field, I just like to show everybody the things that I can contribute to the game myself.”

Carson Wentz ‘doing a great job’

The Steelers’ defense figures to have a major challenge Sunday against the hottest young player in the game, Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz has looked like a polished veteran in leading the Eagles’ to a 2-0 start.

“He’s not turning the ball over and the defense has four turnovers on the year,” Shazier said. “The game of football is turnovers. If you win the turnover battle and the run game, then you’ll do pretty good in this league.

“He’s doing a great job. He’s making sure that they’re always in manageable down and distances, always taking care of the ball. He doesn’t make any bad decisions. As long as you’re putting yourself in good down and distances and able to move the ball up and down the field and without turnovers, you’re doing a great job. A lot of quarterbacks, it’s hard for them to do that their first few years in the league, and I feel like he’s doing a great job right now.”

 

Chargers’ McCoy likes Williams’ progress, sees Bosa taking ‘next step’

The San Diego Chargers have plenty of reason to be excited about the progress of second-year wide receiver Tyrell Williams.

He had a 44-yard touchdown reception in the Chargers’ 38-14 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. Chargers coach Mike McCoy can only see more production ahead.

Williams ‘a guy we kind of groomed’ last season

“He was a guy we kind of groomed all year long and he got some playing time at the very end of the year and as camp went along this year, you saw the improvements that he’s made and he’s really done a nice job for us,” McCoy told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on Late Hits. “And the coaches have done a nice job of creating certain packages and certain things to try to get him the ball. And when you’ve got a quarterback like Philip Rivers, he makes everybody else’s job easier because he knows the right plays versus certain coverages.”

Meanwhile, McCoy is encouraged that rookie defensive end Joey Bosa, after his lengthy holdout and injury setback, is looking closer and closer to seeing game action. It could come Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Got to take ‘another step’ with Bosa

“(Wednesday’s practice) was the next step, so now we’ve got to take another step (Thursday),” McCoy said. “So it was unfortunate when he got here and he got a little dinged up, kind of a little setback. But we knew that could possibly happen. So we’re going to go out there (Thursday) and let him work a little more and then Friday we’ll go a little more and then we’ll see where he’s at and kind of make a decision later in the week what we’re going to do with him.

“But it’s great to get him out there a little bit. He’s been frustrated and I know how he’s going to help our team. Once he gets out there, he’s just going to make us better and give us more depth on the team, so it’s nice to get him back on the field for the first time in a while.”