The Minnesota Vikings running game produced one huge play against the Detroit Lions but on the whole was inconsistent.
Though Adrian Peterson finished with 98 yards on 19 carries, his day was mostly frustrating as he struggled to find running lanes.
On a couple of occasions Peterson compounded his issues by trying to bounce plays outside that weren’t there, resulting in damaging negative runs.
Those negative runs are becoming a bit of an on-going issue for the Vikings.
Adrian Peterson has always been a bit of a feast-or-famine runner of course. But lately the gulf between the feast and the famine seems to be getting wider.
It would be easy to chalk this issue up to Peterson getting older and not having the same explosiveness but I don’t think this is the true problem.
Adrian Peterson’s true problem is a combination of offensive evolution and his own tendency to lose patience when things aren’t going his way.
Many teams are moving their offenses away from the kind of power running concepts that allow men like Adrian Peterson to flourish, and the Vikings are no exception.
As the Vikings incorporate more spread looks into their offense, looks that require Peterson to line up in the shotgun or pistol, Peterson has had to adapt the way he runs.
This breakdown from Robert Klemko of MMQB tells you all you need to know about how the Vikings have tried to fit Peterson into their new offense and why Peterson has become somewhat frustrated at times.
Klemko hits on a lot of points but one stands out to me as a big key.
Klemko points out how much more successful Peterson is running from the I-formation rather than the shotgun then explains what he believes is causing the discrepancy.
It’s all about what Peterson sees and how he reacts:
"The difference is likely due to unfamiliarity. Offensive linemen extend laterally for blocks in shotgun more than than they do in tightened, lead-blocker formations.Defensive ends have a greater mandate to rush the edge against shotgun, which can complicate things for a running back whose greatest trick is bouncing outside and racing to the sideline."
Power run plays of the type in which Peterson thrives afford opportunities to bounce things outside when the hole is plugged.
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But shotgun plays with defensive ends shooting the edges don’t allow for that approach. Try to bounce those plays outside and you get corralled.
Ideally, Peterson would find the hole, cut and go. And if there’s nothing there, just take the no-gain or small loss.
Peterson’s natural instinct is to never give up on a play, so like a scrambling QB who never wants to throw the ball away, he keeps the play alive long enough to get in more trouble.
Improving the run game is not simply a matter of Peterson gaining more experience in the spread and learning how to read the holes, it’s also a matter of him learning to eat it when there’s nothing there.
Knowing what we know about Peterson, it’s not going to be easy for him to rein in his habit of trying to bounce outside.
The Vikings are getting enough production from Peterson right now by mixing in power formations that take advantage of his skills, but if the offense is going to succeed long-term with Peterson on the field, he will have to adjust the way he plays.
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