EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -Adrian Peterson isn\’t worried about opponents trying to tackle him. He\’s focused more on keeping them from taking the ball away.
Fumbling has been the one problem of Peterson\’s sensational career, and Minnesota\’s All-Pro running back has lost five of them this season. Once again, he\’s trying to be more careful, which is difficult for him to reconcile with his powerful style.
“It\’s just little things like carrying the ball too low at times,\’\’ Peterson said Thursday. “It\’s something that I point out and focus on when I\’m in practice, keeping it high and tight.\’\’
Just as Peterson had taken the unofficial, always arguable crown for the NFL\’s best runner from San Diego\’s LaDainian Tomlinson, he\’s been passed by Tennessee\’s Chris Johnson.
arterback Brett Favre on an amazing tear, speaks to Peterson\’s ability and threat to change a game with one open running lane.
Still, after topping 100 yards six times in 14 games as a rookie and in 10 of 16 games last season, Peterson has only three 100-yard performances this year. His yards-per-carry average has dropped from 5.6 in 2007 to 4.8 in 2008 to 4.7 in 2009.
Peterson fumbled twice, losing one after a replay review of the other retained possession for the Vikings, and rushed for 85 yards on 25 attempts with one score last week against the Chicago Bears.
“Watching film, there was a lot of things I did wrong,\’\’ Peterson said. “It could have easily been a 200-yard game for me, even with those guys stacking the box. A lot of times it\’s what I\’m doing too. I try and make sure I focus on me and the things I can do better to help the offense.\’\’
Starting with protecting that ol\’ pigskin better.
“Sometimes I can be my biggest enemy,\’\’ Peterson said. “How I run, I try to scratch for every yard. I\’ve just got to be more aware that guys are going to come in and try to punch the ball out.\’\’
Peterson blamed putting the ball in the wrong arm for one of last week\’s fumbles, but he also insisted that defenders are not just trying to pry the ball loose – they\’re going so far as to tackle the ball instead of him.
\’Hey, when we got him up, forget tackling if he\’s not going anywhere. Rip for the ball. Rip for the ball. Rip for the ball,\’\’\’ Peterson said. “So I\’m just going to start being more aware of putting two hands on the ball and going down at times.\’\’
The Titans have faced the same stiff fronts, with a steady diet of eight defenders in the box. They\’ve effectively used the option a couple of times per game since the mobile Vince Young took over at quarterback, which has helped open up more room for Johnson.
Johnson\’s 800-yard November was the best month in NFL history since the 1970 merger. He has three touchdown runs of 85 yards or longer, too, and has lost only one fumble.
Johnson, who leads the NFL with 1,396 yards, is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Steven Jackson of St. Louis (1,120) and Peterson (1,084) are averaging 4.7. Even by subtracting the longest run from each of Johnson\’s and Peterson\’s games this year, Johnson has the edge.
Asked who he considers the NFL\’s best running back between them, Johnson said: “I would say myself. I have great expectations. I don\’t want to say anything else. He\’s a great back. It\’s a great argument at the end of the day. Shout out to Adrian Peterson.\’\’
Before this season started, Tomlinson balked at comments made during the summer by the great Jim Brown pumping Peterson up as the best in the league. An unusually emphatic Vikings coach Brad Childress then defended Peterson by calling him the NFL\’s best, praising the progress he\’d made in all phases of the offense since his rookie year.
Childress may not defend Peterson\’s driving, after he was clocked by police in Minneapolis going 109 mph in a 55 zone Saturday night. The transgression could cost Peterson his license.
But Childress will defend his franchise player on the subject of fumbling.
“Touch it as many times as he does, somewhere it\’s falling on the ground,\’\’ Childress said.
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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.
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