Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and left guard Steve Hutchinson have been named to The Sporting News midseason NFL all-pro team. Being picked to one of these things doesn’t mean much but it gives fans something to talk about and debate. Here is the story with all of TSN’s picks.

Vikings coach Brad Childress said he expects safety Madieu Williams to start Sunday against the Houston Texans. Williams had full participation in practice Friday and will make his Vikings debut Sunday after suffering a neck injury early in training camp.

It remains to be seen how much Williams is able to play as far as conditioning. Rookie Tyrell Johnson will get some snaps and will also play on all four special-teams units.

Linebacker David Herron is out because of a hip injury. Wide receiver Sidney Rice (knee) had full participation Friday and is listed as probable.

Linebacker David Herron has been the only Vikings player who has not taken part in practice this week as the team prepares for its game Sunday against Houston. Herron, who had taken over at middle linebacker for the injured E.J. Henderson, has a hip injury and could be declared out for Sunday when the Vikings release their injury report later today. We’ll have an update later this afternoon.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson obviously feels he has plenty of room for improvement — check out Chip’s story today on the second-year standout — but it appears Peterson’s fan base remains very solid.

According to Reebok’s sales numbers, Peterson’s No. 28 Vikings jersey is the second best selling in the NFL behind Brett Favre’s New York Jets jersey. Favre has an advantage, of course. When he was traded to New York his fans had to go out and buy a Jets No. 4 jersey to go along with their Packers jersey.

With veteran safety Madieu Williams set to return from a neck injury that has sidelined him all season, rookie Tyrell Johnson is about to lose the starting job he held for the first seven games. But that does not mean the second-round pick out of Arkansas State isn’t going to get on the field.

He will continue to have a role in the defense, playing the safety spot when the Vikings employ a dime package (six defensive backs) that they have used at times this season. In those situations, the plan is for Williams to play more like a corner. Williams played cornerback earlier in his career and is considered very reliable as a cover guy. Benny Sapp had played in the dime defense this season but the Vikings did not use it all that frequently.

Johnson also will be counted on to help the Vikings’ special teams. He had been used on kickoffs when he was starting at safety but now will play on all special teams.

Johnson’s seven-game audition certainly did not hurt him and there is a good chance the Vikings will have him starting opposite Williams next season. Veteran Darren Sharper is a free agent and at this point the Vikings have not talked to him about a new contract.

“I think I showed them that I’m reliable,” Johnson said. “If they need somebody to go in there I can do it. … I still have a lot of learning to do. But I proved to myself that I can play in the NFL, that I can do it and no task is too great.”

Both the Vikings and their opponent on Sunday, Houston, have issued injury reports. Here they are:

Vikings: LB David Herron (hip), did not participate; DE Ray Edwards (knee) limited participation; TE Garrett Mills (ankle), limited; WR Sidney Rice (knee), limited; S Madieu Williams (neck), limited.

Texans: WR Andre Davis (finger), out; RB Ahman Green (thigh), DNP; WR Kevin Walter (knee), full participation; S Dom Barber (hamstring), full; C Chris Myers (illness), DNP.

As expected, the Vikings game against Houston on Sunday at the Metrodome will be televised in the Twin Cities after CBS affiliate WCCO (Ch. 4) agreed to purchase the last “several hundred” tickets, according to Vikings vice president of sales and marketing Steve LaCroix.  

The team had about 1,500 tickets left as of Wednesday afternoon but with WCCO carrying only two Vikings games this season it was expected the station would do everything to make sure the game was soldout and, thus, televised locally. WCCO already was planning a special postgame show and the number of high-priced political ads that will run during the game meant accepting a blackout would have been a bad business decision.

The tickets bought by WCCO on Thursday will be donated to local military personnel and their families, LaCroix said in an e-mail.

Before Sunday’s game the Vikings are planning a video tribute and a moment of silence for former safety Karl Kassulke, who passed away Monday at the age of 67.

As for practice news today, linebacker David Herron (hip) was the only player who was not participating.