Adrian Peterson walks out the shower and heads toward his locker. The residual excitement from the game hasn't worn off. After his performance in Washington's Week 6 victory over the Carolina Panthers, his disposition is understandable, if admirable, considering the pain his body feels. When the adrenaline wanes, his body will continue to ache. That's what playing through three injuries—shoulder, ankle and knee—can do.
He gets dressed without a hitch. The shoulder he dislocated and popped back into place during the previous game doesn't hamper him much. Throughout the week, his wife Ashley would massage his shoulder in the middle of the night with her knuckles and elbows to keep the muscles loose.