vikings/nfl
Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
At 1-6, should Vikings start tapering Peterson's carries?
Posted by: Mark Craig under Vikings, NFC, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin Updated: October 26, 2011 - 11:25 AM
Taking a break from the police blotter and the Winter Park sing-a-long "Ding, Dong the Berrian's Gone!" ...
Most fans probably say the same thing when they spot backup running back Toby Gerhart making his 1.7 carries per game:
"What are they DOING? Where's ADRIAN!?"
Well, you should know that no other NFL team has bigger discrepancy in the amount of carries between the starter and the backup running back (138). Adrian Peterson has 146 (20.8 per game) while Gerhart has 12.
Heck, Toby trails receiver Percy Harvin (16) in carries.
The only other teams in the league that have a difference of at least 100 carries between the starting running back and the backup are Atlanta (122) and Chicago (101).
Peterson is a once-in-a-generation player that we all want to see play. But running backs don't last forever. Carries take their toll, even on men who look like Peterson.
The Vikings' offense is built around Peterson. But with the team slumping along at 1-6 in a lost season, should it start to taper Peterson's carries a little bit, keeping the future in mind?
He's on pace for 334 carries, which would be 29 fewer than his career high of 363 in 2008.
He's also on pace to have 306 more carries than his backup. That would be a career high by far. In 2008, Peterson had 262 carries more than Chester Taylor. Last year, he had 202 more than Gerhart. In 2009, he had 220 more than Taylor. And in 2007, his rookie season, he had 81 more than Taylor.
Just something to, um, ponder.
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