More NFL Tales of the Strange and Weird as Doak Walker Award winner battles an obscure "true professional" for backup duties:
How to Spell AP
Posted: August 5, 2010, 1:40 p.m. CT
By Bo Mitchell
foxsportsnorth.com
Overshadowed by the rampant speculation surrounding a certain 40-year-old quarterback is the uncertainty regarding the Vikings running game.
Don't be alarmed. Adrian Peterson is just fine â€" or rather he should be fine soon.
The leg tightness that has rendered Peterson inactive for much of camp is not a major concern. You can't blame the Vikings for erring on the side of caution and parking their franchise back until his leg loosens up.
I'm talking about what happens A.P. "¦ as in
after Peterson. Again, don't be alarmed. Peterson is not contemplating joining Favre at the waffle house in Hattiesburg. By "after Peterson," we are referring to what will happen when he needs a break in the action. Or as offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell noted Wednesday, "Keep in mind we give him the ball a lot and at some point we have to get him off the field."
Peterson has 741 touches the last two seasons. That's a heavy workload. And that was with a top-notch No. 2 running back spelling him.
So what will the Vikings do to spell Peterson in 2010?
In the past that answer was easy. When Peterson was not on the field, Chester Taylor was. However, Taylor is now in Bears camp attempting to unseat Matt Forte. Taylor has a puncher's chances in that camp battle because he is a complete package. He has feature-back running ability, good hands, pass-blocking acumen, and an uncanny nose for the first-down marker. Understandably, replacing such a multi-purpose threat in the Vikings backfield will take more than one player.
Many assume his replacement on the depth chart will be rookie second-round pick Toby Gerhart. Bevell likes what he has seen thus far, but is quick to note there's room for improvement. "Toby Gerhart has done a nice job. He has come in there, taken a couple of hits the first days -- that is the one thing we talked about with him, being able to get his pad level down." Bevell was referring to shots from Pat Williams and Jasper Brinkley that lit up Gerhart. However, the big kid from Stanford keeps bouncing back and has made an impression beyond his ability to take a licking and keep ticking.
"He is picking things up well," Bevell said of Gerhart. "I think he is showing quick feet. He shows a tendency to catch the football and be able to run with it." That pass-catching ability certainly enhances Gerhart's chances of filling Taylor's shoes. But he won't do it alone.
Bevell revealed Wednesday that veteran Albert Young is the leading candidate at this point to be the Vikings' third-down back. "He is a true professional," Bevell said of Young. "He comes in and takes care of business. He does his job. He does it correct every time. That is what you need. We don't want guys that are out there and do it right some of the times. We want to make sure they are doing it right each and every time."
As the Vikings' coaches figure out ways to divvy up the duties Taylor left behind, don't be surprised if we see more of Peterson on third downs as well. That is, as long as he continues to display improvement in protection, which Bevell adamantly calls "the number one key" for anyone who lines up at running back on third down. Bevell said Tuesday that protection is "something [Peterson] needs to focus on."
Just guessing here, but we are probably going to see a lot of Gerhart and Young this preseason. Newcomer Ryan Moats remains in the mix as well, as is receiver/runner hybrid Darius Reynaud. However, it's pretty clear that Gerhart and Young have an edge on the competition in the battle to augment Adrian's talents in the Vikings' backfield.
It's still early, but it's looking like Peterson is destined for another 375-touch season. When he comes out on third-down passing situations, look for Young to tag in. When Peterson comes out for a set of downs or even a full series, look for Gerhart to get the first shot. The big rookie also has the size and inside running ability to be effective in short yardage and at the goal line.
The backup running back battle should be an interesting one to watch throughout the fake games of August.
For now, however, the answer to the question "What to do after Peterson now that Taylor is gone?" is "it depends."<I sizcache="0" sizset="125">
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