Just a few months before the 2018 season, there were questions if Adrian Peterson would even be on an NFL roster, but after some injuries during training camp at the running back position for the Washington Redskins they decided to take a chance. There were many questions about how much Peterson had left and if he would be effective, but he cleared those worries up pretty quickly.
Peterson was a guy the Redskins leaned on heavily and he finished the season rushing for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. He also showed something that he hadn't before in his career, an ability to catch the football out of the backfield.
Like many other backs, Peterson had better games than others, so let's breakdown his three best performances of the 2018 season.
3. Week 1 at the Arizona Cardinals
After the team signed Peterson there were still a lot of questions about what he would be able to accomplish on the field. Many believed it would only be an acquisition for a few weeks, then he would struggle and the Redskins would go in a different direction.
Peterson had different ideas and showed it right out of the gate against the Arizona Cardinals. The team fed him the ball and he had success, racking up 26 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown.
He also proved his worth catching the ball, hauling in two passes for 70 yards. This was really the first time in a few years that it looked like the old Peterson who wreaked havoc on the league for many years.
The Redskins ended up winning the game 24-6 and Peterson was one of the main reasons why.
2. Week 3 vs. the Green Bay Packers
It's a toss-up for the final two games, and they probably could be ranked either way, but game three against the Packers comes in second place.
Peterson had a couple of short touchdown runs in the game, but also broke off a few long ones for an average of 6.3 yards per carry.
He finished the game rushing 19 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. His long run was 41 yards. The Redskins came out ahead 31-17 and there was some hope after this game that the Redskins might be able to be a playoff team. That, of course, didn't happen, but Peterson helped make for an exciting season.
1. Week 8 at the New York Giants
The Washington Redskins always put extra importance on games against the New York Giants, and in Week 8 in the Big Apple, Peterson put on a show.
The Redskins scored two touchdowns against the Giants in the game, and both were by the future Hall of Famer. In the first quarter, Peterson caught a short pass from Alex Smith that he marched into the end zone for a seven-yard score.
The most impressive play of the game, and maybe of his season, came in the fourth quarter when he broke loose for 64 yards and put the game out of reach.
The Giants did score a late touchdown, but it wasn't enough as the Redskins came out ahead 20-6.
Peterson is back for another season with the Redskins and it will be interesting to see what kind of year he has. Derrius Guice is back from injury and the team also has Chris Thompson. He may not have as big of a role, but Peterson is still a threat for teams to game plan against.
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