Vikings to Launch Inquiry into Adrian Peterson’s Fumbilitis
↵↵Somewhat obscured by Brett Favre’s across his body interception and Brad Childress’ gutless playcalling at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship Game was the recurrent fumbling of superstar running back Adrian Peterson. Though Peterson was only credited with two fumbles (neither of which were lost) he has assumed responsibility for a botched handoff in the red zone that cost the Vikings a critical score at the end of the first half.↵
↵↵Peterson’s struggles with holding onto the football have become heralded enough that it’s starting to mar the reputation of one of the NFL’s elite backs. Not that there isn’t plenty of precedent to justify that. During the regular season, Peterson led all running backs in the NFL with six lost fumbles. In 2008, he was the NFL leader in fumbles with nine (four were lost).↵
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↵Predictably, coaches plan to analyze his running style in hopes of coming up with a fix. Even though Peterson's aggressive rushing technique, which often involves swinging his arms erratically and jostling with defenders for extra yards, is ripe for an occasional strip, alterations to his placement of the ball can help to make the fumbles more infrequent. After all, coaches were able to mostly cure Tiki Barber of his ball security problems in the waning years of his career. ↵
↵↵That’s the problem with the tragic flaws of great players. Just as Brett Favre shucked off an entire season of disciplined passes for one final mindless chuck across the middle of the field, so too did Peterson’s proclivities bite him at the worst possible time. Unless a change is made, it will likely find another inopportune time to dog him.↵
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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