How Do The Texans Stop Adrian Peterson?
Because if they don't, it could be a long day for your Houston Texans in Minnesota on Sunday. The official site reports some jarring statistics:
Peterson ranks second in the NFL in rushing with 684 yards behind Washington's Clinton Portis with 944 yards. Peterson has five rushing touchdowns this season, which ranks ninth in the league. His career average of 96.4 rushing yards per game in 21 pro games ranks the highest in the NFL over the past two seasons.
Add in that the Texans are currently giving up an average of nearly 120 rushing yards per game (and thus ranked 21st in the league against the run), and the prospect of stopping Peterson becomes downright terrifying. Man, I could really use some inspiring quotes from the defense about how they're going to handle Peterson. What's that? The official site has some? Great!
"If anybody has a secret, please let me know," cornerback Jacques Reeves said. "I'm open for suggestions. We just have to get to the ball and gang tackle."
"After he gets past the front line, when he gets to the secondary, it's trouble,'' cornerback Demarcus Faggins said. "He's very hard to tackle in the open field. He's big and also if he gets a step on you he's gone. He can run you over. He can run past you.
Well, that didn't work. Actually, I think we can expand Petey's notion to, "If the ball gets past the front line, when it gets to the secondary, it's trouble." But I digress; let's keep it on Peterson. The other quotes in the article, from DeMeco, Diles, and The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver, more or less agree with Reeves' take; namely, that it's folly to think that Peterson can be handled one-on-one. He'll require multiple Texans to keep him in check. That's fine and good, but it's still going to require good tackling, and that's something the Texans have struggled with at times this season.
Aside from the tackling concerns, I'm wondering how Richard Smith plans to attack the Vikings' offense. Convential wisdom would seem to suggest that you'd stick eight (8) in the box and make Gus Frerotte beat you. That's all well and good, but then you're leaving your secondary on an island, an act which I'd totally support if we could figure out a way to literally maroon Petey Faggins and Jacques Reeves on a remote archipelago. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't, right?
This strikes me as a game where you really, really need a defensive coordinator who can make adjustments on the fly, bringing pressure from different angles and moving players all over the place prior to the snap. Unfortunately, I don't have any confidence that Richard Smith is capable of doing that. Thus, I pose the question to you, BRB: How do you stop Adrian Peterson? Because I don't think your Houston Texans can.
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Have Faith Brotha Tim
Four reasons our beloved Texans will win this game!
1) Schaub if full of confidence, and this is his first game with everthing clicking with his Brainmate…..
2) AFC offensive player of the month, Andre Johnson ,on the road since the Carr o lina beatdown.
3) Dunta is also back at nearly full speed and we all know the difference he makes!
4) Mario!
GO TEXANS!!!!!!!!!
I'm Not Saying The Texans Lose...
That prediction will be revealed in “Three And Out” tomorrow. I do think, however, that the MIN pass rush will be able to pin its ears back if the MIN offense can march the ball down the field and run the clock via Peterson, and that ain’t good.
Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...
I'm hoping for a........
quick strike such as a JJ punt return to make them have to throw it. I think we have to start fast and eliminate AP that way.
GO TEXANS!!!!!!!!!
Greetings
Trying to stop AD? Have Childress coach him. Oh wait…
by Jepp The Viking on Oct 30, 2008 11:11 AM CDT reply actions
Nice
I think I speak on behalf of all Texan fans when I say that I hope Childress limits Peterson’s carries on Sunday. It’s a long season, and you guys need him down the home stretch. Don’t overuse him against a non-divisional opponent.
Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...
Beating AP.
You don’t beat AP. He’s gonna get his.
Pack the box. Tell Demeco and Morlon that AP hates their Grandmothers.
Leave the cornerbacks to fend for themselves. I would be amazed if Gus Frerotte has a field day against us……despite Torched and The Man with No Arms.
Some teams play games on Sunday...ours goes to War. Go Texans!!!
"The Man with No Arms"
Awesome.
And I’m just hoping that Childress manages to suck even more than Richard Smith. “What’s that? I have one of the best RBs in the game and a back-up quarterback? Better air it out fifty times, and right at Dunta Robinson every time. No need to go right at Petey Faggins with single coverage on Bernard Berrian.”
Have faith!!
Yeah!! sometimes, it’s necessary to have faith!!
Like when I first time on " MatchRich.com " I knew nobody, but now I got lots of friends!! they are successful and rich, but most important, they are sincere, true friends!!!
Well I guess it would be nice...if I could touch your body
Ya gotta have faith a-faith a-faith
You gotta haaaave faaaaaiiiith
Yay, sports.
To me the key
Is to have the offense control the time of possession. If we have the ball for 38 minutes, a ground-based offense shouldn’t be able to score quick enough to outscore us.
If we absolutely have to let the Vikes have the ball, I think that Dunta and our safeties are going to be crucial, since they can actually tackle, unlike Frenchy and Toast.
by tehGrindCrusher on Oct 30, 2008 12:40 PM CDT reply actions
It isn't as hard as it sounds.
If you carefully watched the Saints and Lions games (yes, THOSE Lions we only beat by 2) as soon as AD is a few yards back than normal the safeties immediately run commit. That is how you stop him. Or I should say USED to stop him. Bears tried that and we got 41 points up on them. So it all boils down to your ability to cover our WRs one on one. Do that, and the safeties can cheat all they want. Fail and you’ll see a lot of Purple Jesus.
by Jepp The Viking on Oct 30, 2008 2:16 PM CDT reply actions
"Your Ability To Cover Our WRs One-On-One"
I just threw up in my mouth.
Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...
I'm just sayin'... but...
Even with Purple Jesus going for 100 and a TD per game on average… the Vikings still kinda suck. So maybe the goal should be to keep Peterson in front of us as much as possible, but not let Berrian and Frerotte put up video game numbers on Petey/Jacque.
If the Vikings score more than 20 via the offense (and not its D or special teams), that’s got to be deemed a failure.
Off topic...
..but where are the pics from last week’s contest winner! I wanna hear some in-person perspective from the blowout!
by HoustonDiehards on Oct 30, 2008 5:29 PM CDT reply actions
Motion seconded
Did SL survive the trip? Anyone else notice he hasn’t commented since the game? Aaron, have you heard from him? Who wants to see a 4th question?
Why should we?
Adrian Peterson has run for over 100 yards in 4 games this season.
The Vikings have only won ONE of those games.
In the games the Vikings have won, Peterson has rushed for 77, 32, and 111 yards.
So we need to get up there and play him hard but we shouldn’t be too worried about keeping him under 100 yards.
Good observation
I look for the continued improvement of our DBs (read: to include the increased role of Dunta/Ferguson/Wilson). Jacques isn’t god awful, just mildly sucky. Crispy Faggins though… lord. I know he’s one of the longest tenured Texans – but its time to cut bait.
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