With three months remaining in the NFL schedule it’s too early to be handing out awards, but a solid bet right now for Rookie of the Year is Adrian Peterson. The Viking running back has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his first three games and his 271 total yards ranks 10th among all NFL rushers.
Peterson leads all rookies in rushing with Marshawn Lynch of Buffalo second at 228 yards. Lynch might be Peterson’s main rival for the award, although it’s early in the season and players like wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, may further establish themselves.
Detroit’s Johnson ranks third in receptions among rookie receivers with 10 catches. Packer rookies James Jones (14) and Brandon Jackson (11) rank first and second. Peterson is fifth with eight receptions but he has more yards (160) than any rookies except Johnson (189) and Jones (183).
No rookie can match Peterson’s 20 yards per reception average. His explosiveness was on display in game one when he caught a swing pass from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and ran 60 yards for a touchdown against Atlanta.
Last Sunday he ran 11 yards for a first quarter touchdown against Kansas City. He faked out Chief cornerback Ty Law and showed his speed to the outside as he scored his first rushing touchdown as a Viking.
Those kinds of results remind an observer about what coach Brad Childress said last spring when the Vikings made the Oklahoma all-American tailback the team’s first choice and No. 7 overall pick in the draft. “We are obviously elated to have this guy,” Childress said. “He is an explosive football player that can take it to the house every time from any point on the football field. He has that type of speed and ability. …”
Peterson has scored two of the three touchdowns produced by the offense in the first three regular season games. He’s easily the team’s best playmaker and the coaches are likely to rely on him more with each game. At Kansas City he had a season high 25 carries, and gained 102 yards rushing and 48 receiving. He is the Vikings’ leading receiver with 160 yards in receptions, 63 more than runner-up Bobby Wade. With a combined 431 yards rushing and receiving, Peterson has set a Viking record for the most yards from scrimmage in the first three games of a season.
With an unsettled quarterback situation and no big boppers among the wide receivers, the offense could become Peterson run left, Peterson run right, Peterson catch a swing pass. Mostly run the football and rely on one of the NFL’s better defenses.
Peterson isn’t without faults but one day he will be a consensus choice as the franchise’s best runner ever. In the Kansas City game Peterson was on the bench late in the game as the Vikings tried to rally from a 13-10 deficit, apparently because his pass protection skills are inferior to Mewelde Moore. Peterson also had one fumble in the game, and almost fumbled a second time. He probably needs to carry the ball higher and tighter on his body.
The Rookie of the Year award is more likely to be won by an offensive player, although there are some impressive starts by defensive linemen Amobi Okoye of Houston and linebacker Paul Posluszny of Buffalo. Right now, though, Peterson leads the parade, offense or defense. (Note: there are multiple organizations who announce a Rookie of the Year including the Associated Press that makes an offensive and defensive selection.)