By Chris Tomasson

Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

MINNEAPOLIS —Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel had one of the worst games of his life last weekend against New England. He was willing to talk about the Patriots on Thursday, but on a different subject.

Cassel played for New England from 2005-08, including a year as starter after Tom Brady was lost to a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. Cassel compared that loss to the one the Vikings must absorb after Adrian Peterson was banned indefinitely from team activities Wednesday.

“It was a great opportunity for me, and we were able to still perform, go out there and we ended up the year 11-5,” Cassel said. “Which nobody thought we could do.”

Peterson was placed on the NFL’s exempt list in the wake of his Sept. 12 indictment on a charge of child abuse. Peterson was deactivated for last weekend’s game against New England at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Vikings were crushed 30-7.

Cassel matched a career high with four interceptions. If Cassel doesn’t play a lot better Sunday in New Orleans, the Vikings are in line for a quarterback controversy involving rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

“I think that it’s always important for me to step up as a quarterback,” Cassel said. “I’ve got to get back to what I’ve done all preseason and the first game: take care of the football, first and foremost, and at the same time we just have to get back to playing and get into some rhythm and play with some more tempo than we did (against the Patriots).”

Coach Mike Zimmer has said Bridgewater showed him enough this summer to show he is the future of the franchise.

For now, however, Zimmer is showing support for Cassel.

“I think Matt played very, very well the week before,” Zimmer said of a 34-6 win at St. Louis in the Sept. 7 regular-season opener. “So, obviously, we evaluate all the different scenarios, situations. But I think he’s played great, and I’m not going to let one bad afternoon ruin it.”

Still, speculation on when Bridgewater might replace Cassel has begun. And, if the season spirals downward in Peterson’s absence, it could hasten a move.

“I think Matt has been brought up in a system; I have been kind of brought up in a system, that this is a week-to-week business,” offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. “It’s 16 one-game seasons, and you have to put last week behind you and you’ve got to go play.”

While Sunday was a disaster, Cassel led the Vikings to victories over Philadelphia and Detroit last season while Peterson sat because of injuries. He has some fond memories from two games last December, when he started without an injured Peterson. The Vikings defeated playoff-bound Philadelphia 48-30 and Detroit 14-13.

Peterson’s replacement, Matt Asiata, had three touchdowns in a 48-30 victory over the Eagles and ran 14 times for 115 yards in a 14-13 victory over the Lions. Asiata and rookie Jerick McKinnon will need to carry the load moving forward.

“Adrian’s a special player, but at the same time, we can’t let that overshadow the fact that we have got other players here that can perform,” Cassel said. “We can’t let that be our sole identity, that we have lost Adrian, and I don’t know for how long.

“At the same time, we have to still establish the run. … (Asiata) stepped up last year.”

Cassel also let it be known that he stepped up in Brady’s absence six years ago. After throwing just 39 passes in his first three seasons, he passed for a career-high 3,693 yards as the unexpected starter.

Cassel said the Vikings can use Peterson’s absence as a rallying cry the way the Patriots did when they didn’t have Brady.