At 34 years old, Adrian Peterson is ancient for the running back position, but that hasn't slowed him down. After joining the Washington Redskins as an emergency addition when Derrius Guice tore his ACL, Peterson scampered for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns on an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He proved, quite literally, that he can still be productive All Day. His eighth 1,000-yard season earned him a second contract in Washington, a two-year, $5.3 million deal.
Now entering his second year as a Redskin, expectations have been tempered for Peterson despite his successful 2018 campaign. Guice — the team's second-round pick last year — isn't on the injured reserve and is immensely talented. Bryce Love, a fourth-round pick in 2019, comes with his fair share of intrigue and is a former Heisman Trophy finalist. However, Peterson looks like a catalyst on this offense in Washington.
Peterson's successful outings in the nation's capital directly correlated with wins. Out of the Redskins' seven wins in 2018, five came when Peterson rushed for at least 95, and two over 120. The only time Washington won without him rushing for at least 68 yards came in a late-season defensive battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he ran for 51 and added 20 as a receiver. When he rushed for under 50, the Redskins lost nine times out of nine.
It should be obvious that a team does better when its running back has good games. It's logical, and there is no arguing with it. Peterson's X-factor status doesn't just stem from his success in games won; he should also help the passing game.
Because head coach Jay Gruden runs a West Coast-inspired scheme, Washington is often dependent on a power back to:
A) tread yards on zone runs; and (B) develop play-action.
Peterson, a historically great power back, is ideally set for this role.
With a group of backs that boasts Peterson, Guice, Love, and third-down ace Chris Thompson, many expect AD to take a hit in production in 2019. However, that's before considering that Guice is still not completely healthy (hamstring injury), Love is coming off a torn ACL via the draft process, and Thompson isn't reliable as a pure runner. The only healthy back on the roster who can take a high workload is the man who defined rushing in the early 2010s: Adrian freakin' Peterson.
Peterson, despite his elder statesmen status, showed he still has plenty left in the tank for 2019. This is massive for the Redskins, considering their lack of health at the position. With a new quarterback set to start — either Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins — the run game must be fruitful enough to develop play-action passes and keep defenses honest.
The Redskins have stated that Peterson and Guice will share the workload in a 50-50 split. The first of those two players is a surefire Hall of Famer, the second a promising rookie. Factoring in Guice's lack of health, it may not be 50-50. Instead, expect the Redskins to split carries 60-40 if Peterson is the same player as in 2018. The lack of health and experience on the roster makes Peterson an X-factor. If the 34-year-old keeps up, don't doubt his ability to keep the running game afloat.
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