If the New England Patriots couldn’t stop Knowshon Moreno, how will they have any chance against Adrian Peterson?
That’s the question many Patriots fans are asking this week after the Miami Dolphins running back gashed New England’s front seven Sunday for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Now, Bill Belichick’s squad is tasked with containing Peterson and a Minnesota Vikings offense that put up 34 points in a Week 1 rout of the St. Louis Rams — tied for third-most in the NFL.
“Big. Heâs a very strong runner, good vision and real good speed,” Belichick said Monday during a conference call with reporters. “When he hits the seam, youâre looking at a lot of yardage. Heâs a hard guy to tackle. He has good patience as a runner and good burst, good strength and can run away from people. Heâs a tough guy, tough guy to handle.”
The Rams actually managed to stifle the two-time NFL rushing champ, holding Peterson to 75 yards on 21 carries and keeping him out of the end zone. The Vikings’ true playmaker in the win was second-year wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who caught just three passes for 26 yards but racked up 102 yards on three carries, including a 67-yard touchdown run that effectively put the game away in the third quarter.
Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia noted Minnesota’s ability to manufacture “explosive” run plays (runs of 10 yards or more), of which it had a league-best six in Week 1.
“I mean, obviously weâre looking at a very good offense here, just obviously had a strong performance,” Patricia said. “A team that is very explosive, has some dynamic players in both the run game and the pass game, followed up with a very smart quarterback (former Patriots signal-caller Matt Cassell) who has a handle on the new system very well.
“The rushing aspect and avenue they present with Peterson is obviously a huge challenge for us. A guy that is just so dynamic and so explosive, very strong and powerful runner and a guy that can really make an explosive play at any point in time.”
The Patriots’ 33 points allowed against the Dolphins was their most since a Week 15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers back in 2012. If they can’t find a way to lock down Peterson and Patterson, they could be in for another shootout.
Photo via Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports Images
