Adrian Peterson is the Six-Million Dollar running back.
“He’s the best player in the league in my opinion,” Julius Peppers said.
Even after missing nearly the entirety of last season, the Vikings running back leads the NFL in rushing yards (961) to go along with five touchdowns. He’s a rare talent that can gash and slash up a defense before they know what even happened.
“What is it that sets him apart? Everything,” Peppers said. “Everything he does is better than everything else. He has the physical gift obviously, he has the speed, the vision, the body. He has it all. It’s a challenge for us and I think we’re up for it.”
Peterson averaged 117.7 yards per game and 11 total rushing touchdowns in his career against the Packers.
Time away or even a significant injury, as Peterson tore his ACL and MCL in 2011, isn’t something that has ever slowed him down before. Following that setback, the running back returned to the field just eight months later and gained over 2,000 yards on the ground to earn Comeback Player of the Year and MVP honors.
“It’s just the same Adrian that we’ve seen since I’ve been here,” linebacker Clay Matthews said. “A year off or not, it’s doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat.”
Although Peterson is 30 years old (which is way over the hill in running back years), he has the freshness and explosiveness of a rookie.
Over the Vikings last five games - all wins - Peterson has carried the ball over 20 times on four of those occasions. Minnesota’s offense runs through the six-time Pro Bowler because, well, he’s Adrian Peterson.
“They have Adrian so it’s not a lot of gimmicks,” Peppers said. Green Bay has the 24th ranked rushing defense in the league as they give up 116 yards per game. “They are going to give him the football, they are going to run the types of plays they run and it’s up to you to stop it.”
