EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Through their first two preseason games, the best performance from Minnesotas first-team offence has been by rookie punter Jeff Locke. The Vikings havent done much well in these exhibition games yet. Each incompletion by Christian Ponder or three-and-out series by the unit has only heightened concerns whether this team can be balanced enough to build off last years playoff appearance. Even when the wins and losses dont matter, decent showings will somewhat appease the fans, soften the skepticism of the analysts, and most importantly give the coaches and players confidence in a chemistry carry-over to the regular season. "Yeah, there would be some reason for concern if we dont do certain things that weve set out to get accomplished in this ballgame, or any ballgame," coach Leslie Frazier said on Wednesday. The Vikings are at San Francisco on Sunday, and most of the starters are expected to play into the third quarter. But before this becomes an anxiety-raising, must-thrive event, theres a critical fact to point out about the way the offence bumbled through the first two games. "I was coming off the sideline saying, Oh, my gosh, what are we doing?" wide receiver Greg Jennings said. "Like, we were struggling. And then I saw this guy on the sideline that had this 28 jersey on, and he wasnt dressed, and Im like Oh, yeah. I forgot. We dont have a big part of our offence out here that draws a lot of attention. So this week will be a lot better." Assessing a team without the leagues rushing leader and Most Valuable Player is hardly worth it, especially considering the way the Vikings revolve around their star running back Adrian Peterson. This week against the 49ers, the plan is for Peterson to be on the field. "If youre an offensive player, we definitely want to take some steps forward," Peterson said. The Vikings have averaged only 14 first downs and 276 yards over the first two games, though that includes all of the time logged by backups and long shots trying to make the team. Ponder is 6 for 14 for 68 yards and one interception. His passer rating is 28.3. So this next exhibition will be a valuable opportunity for Ponder to continue trying to establish a rhythm with Jennings, rookie Cordarrelle Patterson and the rest of his receivers. Dont expect a polished product either, Jennings said. "Kinks will never completely be ironed out," he said. "There will always be a new wrinkle that we put in that were going to be trying to perfect. Just our relationship, our chemistry, were going to try to perfect that forever." NOTES: The finalists for the punt returner role are incumbent Marcus Sherels and fellow CB Bobby Felder, according to special teams co-ordinator Mike Priefer. The Vikings have been grooming Patterson for that job, too, but theyre trying to narrow his focus for now. ... DT Sharrif Floyds minor left knee operation went fine, Frazier said, and hes expected to be ready for the first week of the regular season. ... In addition to Floyd and FB Jerome Felton, whos out for the rest of August recovering from an appendectomy, the only other significant player held out of practice Wednesday was WR Jarius Wright (concussion symptoms). Paul George Shoes Free Shipping . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Clearance Paul George Shoes . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. https://www.cheappaulgeorgeshoes.com/ . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. Wholesale Paul George Shoes . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Cheap Paul George Shoes . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The lone Russian track and field athlete at the Olympics is waiting to hear whether she will be allowed to compete.Darya Klishina was the only one of 68 Russians cleared to participate in Rio de Janeiro by the IAAF, largely because she has been based outside Russia for the past three years. But the sports governing body excluded the long jumper from the Olympics days ago after receiving what it said was new information.The IAAF has not disclosed that information, but Klishina appealed against the decision and her lawyer, Paul Greene, has said the case rests on signs that the former European indoor champions drug-testing samples may have been tampered with in Russia.Greene argued that even if bottles containing Klishinas samples had been manipulated, it would not be proof that she had done wrong.Darya had nothing to do with the bottles. The bottles have nothing to do with Darya Klishina, he said after the hearing. They were doing this to everyone, clean athletes, non-clean athletes. Its the system so corrupt even she was caught up. Thats basically what (the IAAF is) saying happened.Klishina attended Sundays hearing in person at the Court of Arbitration for Sports temporary base at a beachfront hotel in Rio de Janeiro, leaving early to return to the Olympic Village by car.CAS said it hopes to issue its verdict by Sunday night, in time for Klishina to compete in long jump qualification at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday if she wins.She plans to say the truth, which is that shes a clean athlete, Greene told The Associated Press ahead of the hearing.ddddddddddddA legal battle two days before Klishinas event begins is not the easiest thing to deal with, but shes a very strong person, he added.Greene said the IAAF case relies on confidential evidence from a report on Russian doping by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren, with a key piece of evidence being scratch marks found on bottles containing drug-test samples she gave in Russia.McLaren wrote in the publicly available version of his preliminary report that Russian security services were able to open supposedly tamper-proof bottles with the intent of swapping tainted samples for clean urine, leaving behind tell-tale scratches on the glass.Unlike in previous legal battles over Russian doping, the Russian Sports Ministry and the countrys Olympic committee have taken a back seat in Klishinas case, with her American management company IMG in a leading role.In comments to the R-Sport news agency, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the accusations against Klishina were part of a campaign directed against Russian sport, to discredit it. Its beyond the realm of common sense.The rest of the Russian team remains banned from all international competition over allegations of a widespread, state-sponsored doping program. The sanction was upheld for the Olympics by CAS last month. ' ' '