Johnson, Peterson both hungry to prove they are NFL's top RB
Fans of football are always happy to argue over who the best running back in the National Football League is. There's been two main contenders over the past years. In the red corner we have Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson, and in the blue corner we have Titans’ Chris Johnson. It’s a toss-up and even scouts and analysts argue about who is the better of the two.
But more often than not, the edge goes to the latter because Johnson was the league’s leading rusher last season and eclipsed the 2000 yard mark. But don’t tell Peterson that he is not in the running. He won’t believe you, not for a second.
The former Oklahoma Sooner has also posted impressive numbers during his three years with Minnesota. To his credit, Peterson has reached the century mark 19 times in his young career and owns the NFL single-game record for most rushing yards with 296 against the San Diego Chargers in 2007.
However, Peterson has constantly broken the cardinal rule for a running back: never fumble the ball. In three seasons, the 2008 leading rusher fumbled a whopping 20 times, (with the opposing team recovering 13) the main reason why critics place Johnson ahead on the score cards.
When asked about his problems holding on to the ball, Peterson clearly wants to put it all behind him. “If you're out there thinking about it, it plants that seed in your head and the ball might just sprout out," he said. "You have to put that behind you. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to move forward."
Peterson has dedicated a huge portion of his offseason training to protecting the ball. He walks around with a medicine ball in his arm to strengthen his grip and runs all of his offensive drills with the ball close by his side.
“it's all mental," Peterson said after the Vikings' training camp practice. "It's that simple, being aware at all times of my surroundings. Guys are always throwing extra punches to knock the ball out, so it's just a matter of knowing I have to have the ball high and tight at all times."
During his first two seasons, Peterson was considered the league’s best back. That sentiment has slightly changed because of Johnson’s breakout season last year. Now the man they call “All Day” is starting to slip behind Johnson, dubbed as CJ 2K, for his 2000 yard season. Johnson has set the bar high for himself with claims that he wants to be named the league's MVP, and he is looking to surpass Eric Dickerson's record of 2105 yards rushing in a single season.
Peterson also has ambitious goals for 2010 and they are to top Johnson this season and regain his throne as the NFL’s most potent running back. Surely this is a realistic goal. Peterson’s running style does mirror Johnson’s in certain areas. Both have blazing speed, although CJ 2K is the fastest running back in the league.
Another aspect of their game that is ingrained in all great players is their uncanny ability to scan the field and see the hole before it opens up. What separates these RBs from the rest is that they always seem to find a crack in the defence and exploit that to the fullest.
But Peterson does have one area in which he is far more effective than Johnson, and that’s yards after contact. The Vikings RB can run around but through would be tacklers as well. He has the power the leave defenders on their back and then run away from them.
No question that he keeps his offence in gear even when times are hard and he is Minnesota’s most dangerous weapon. While Johnson has shown his ability to run in the middle and up the gut, this is not his game. 2010 will be interesting and will show which of the two running backs will hold the crown of the best rusher in the NFL.
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