Adrian Peterson vs. the Lions (29 runs, 134 yards; 2 catches, 58 yards)

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1-6-DET 6 (Q3, 13:37) (Shotgun) A.Peterson left tackle to DET 8 for -2 yards (J.Ihedigbo). FUMBLES (J.Ihedigbo), RECOVERED by DET-J.Wilson at DET 11.

Remember a couple of plays ago, when I said aggressiveness was a great trait for RBs? Well, I should add a caveat to that. Peterson might very well be the most aggressive RB in the NFL, and sometimes his aggressiveness works against him. When a player fumbles, it’s rarely because of the first contact. Defensive players are taught to wrap up the ball carrier first, and then if they’re the second player there to try to punch the ball out. This is what happens here, as Tulloch wraps up Peterson’s leg and then Ihedigbo punches the ball out. It’s important to note, too, that at the time the ball is knocked out Peterson is trying to drag Tulloch for extra yards. Because he’s focusing on that, he’s not paying enough attention to the football, and it gets punched out.

Aggressive play is great. Fighting to break tackles and for yards after contact are how guys like Marshawn Lynch (and Adrian Peterson) break off huge runs. However, that effort should not come at the expense of ball security. Peterson struggled with ball security early in his career, but had appeared to improve significantly in recent years. With almost a year off, he could be not used to the live contact still, and might be in a readjustment period right now. Vikings fans should hope so, at least.

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1-10-DET 22 (Q3, 10:59) A.Peterson left end pushed ob at DET 11 for 11 yards (R.Mathis).

On this play, the Vikings have the entire line block down to the right, and leave Mathis unblocked. The intent is to give Peterson a one-on-one in open space against the CB, which you would expect Adrian to win. However, LB Josh Bynes does a good job of reading the play and not getting fooled by the OL. He goes against the grain and tries to make a play on Peterson. This play showcases something else Peterson does well: pressing the line of scrimmage. Instead of running at the edge immediately when he gets the ball, he runs towards the line of scrimmage, on a path to intersect with the WR blocking. Since Bynes reads the play correctly, this works out very well for Peterson because the line Bynes takes makes him run directly into the WR, which effectively takes him out of the play. Had Peterson not pressed the line, Bynes would have been able to work his way around the WR and stopped Peterson at the edge for a minimal gain. Instead, Peterson has a lot of room to run around Mathis, and gains a first down off of it.

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1-1-DET 1 (Q3, 9:05) A.Peterson right tackle to DET 1 for no gain. PENALTY on DET-J.Jones, Defensive Offside, 0 yards, enforced at DET 1 - No Play.

This fumble didn’t go in the box score because the play was negated by penalty, but it brings up the ball security issue once again. Peterson is simply holding the ball too far away from his body. In a goal line situation like this, taking care of the ball is the highest priority, and Peterson simply doesn’t do it. Now, Tulloch does appear to hit the ball with the crown of his helmet, so I’d imagine that’s really hard to keep control of at that point, but Peterson simply needs to hold onto the football in these situations.

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1-10-DET 21 (Q4, 10:28) A.Peterson left tackle to DET 12 for 9 yards (R.Mathis).

So far, we’ve seen Peterson run with great agility, burst, and vision. What makes him a truly special runner is he has those three elements and then also displays amazing power. This play is by no means a spectacular showing of that power, but he shows some. First, he runs straight through #50 Tahir Whitehead’s arm like it is almost nothing. Then, when Mathis grabs him he continues to fight forward. He’s slowed down some, and when Ihedigbo gets there he’s taken down, but it still shows a little bit of power.

There were some better displays of power on shorter runs, but there were now runs that showed the Herculean strength that Peterson has displayed in the past. In this game against the Lions, he simply didn’t need it.

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2-18-DET 18 (Q4, 7:47) A.Peterson left guard to DET 15 for 3 yards (J.Ihedigbo). FUMBLES (J.Ihedigbo), and recovers at DET 14. A.Peterson to DET 14 for no gain (R.Mathis).

On this play, I don’t think Peterson ever cleanly received the handoff. If he did cleanly receive it, this is terrible ball security, because he has both hands on the football. Not that bobbling the handoff would be a good thing, but I think it’s more easily correctable, especially with repitition. Three fumbles in a single game is unacceptable from a RB. This is something that Peterson will absolutely need to fix.

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1-10-DET 48 (Q4, 1:47) A.Peterson right end to DET 29 for 19 yards (D.Slay).

The Vikings are up by 10 with less than two minutes left in the game, so they just want to run out the clock, which they can do with a first down. They are equipped to stop an interior run, but once again lose edge contain. Peterson kicks it outside, and outruns Slay to get the yardage for the first down. He also displays situational awareness, but not before showcasing his trademark aggressiveness, stiff arming Slay and then falling forward when he eventually decides to go down. That actually brings me to another point. It might seem like a small thing, but it can make a huge difference. Peterson always tries to fall forward. You rarely see him falling backwards with the ball, and you don’t see it in any of these plays. There are a number where he goes out of bounds, but he’s always looking to fall forward, and he’s usually successful at it because he understands how to lower his pad level to get leverage. This is great because at around 6 feet, he’s two yards tall, so he’s adding on an extra yard or two at the end of most of his runs, which really adds up.

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After a disappointing performance in the season opener against the 49ers, Adrian Peterson turned it up in Week 2 against the Lions, and showed that he still has the skill to be an excellent RB on the NFL level. He was not perfect, but there were a number of positive traits that he displayed often, including great aggression, acceleration and agility, and usually good vision. He didn’t get many opportunities to showcase his power, and also struggled heavily with ball control, so he still has things to work on. However, considering it had been almost a calendar year since he’d suited up for a real football game, he might just need some time to shake off the rust and get back into being the most ferocious runner in the NFL.