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John Madden is in Minnesota to call tonight’s Bears-Vikings game for NBC, and he has some interesting thoughts about Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
According to Madden, Peterson is a great runner — great at the pure act of carrying the ball. But Madden thinks Peterson needs to improve in other aspects of the game before he’s truly a great running back.
“I think as far as a runner, he’s one of the best I think that’s ever played,” Madden told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “The greatest runners that I’ve ever seen would be guys like Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. The greatest running back that I ever saw was Walter Payton because he did it all. He would run it. He would block it. He would catch it. In every area, he was the best.”
And from Madden’s perspective, it’s those other areas — receiving and blocking — where Peterson would need to improve before he’s a great back.
“When I say runner, I think [Peterson] is a runner,” Madden said. “As far as a running back, where you have every facet of the position, I still think that he has some pretty big steps to take. Runner, he’s great. He has a chance to be one of the all-time greats. Running back, he still has some work to do.”
Peterson is second in the league with 1,180 rushing yards this season. But he has contributed almost nothing to the Vikings’ passing game, catching just 16 passes for 95 yards.
November 30th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Haven’t watched much of his blocking so I can’t comment on that but he obviously hasn’t been that great as a receiving back. good thing thats what chester taylor is there for.
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November 30th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Funny, coming from someone who is a terrible analyst.
Hey John, thanks for keeping your fat ass out of Tampa for the Sunday night game against Seattle…
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Rating: 1.55 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Favre’s #1 fan has a legit point. Clinton Portis is the best back in the game, top to bottom.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Walter Payton’s avg was 38 receptions a year… thats a lil over 2 a game… not that great. Also the vikings are not a pass every down team and chester taylor gets play time. Madden… just ugh.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am
thats why the Vikings have held onto Chester. He is good at catching out of the backfield…espically on 3rd down, and has the ability to spell Peterson for an extended time if need be. If we didnt have Chester, AP would have at least double the catches
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Adrian is also a cheap shot artist who needs suspended for not wearing his “helmut”. He needs TEH BIGG LOSS!!
Signed,
Bucco Bruce
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
i agree with madden. but ap does have time to get there.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I used to think Madden knew what he was talking about. But nevermore. He thinks Payton is a better RB than JIM BROWN?????
Go away and retire right now Madden. Your senility has set in.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:09 am
First of all. Brian Westbrook is the most COMPLETE back in football. Blocking backs come in on 3rd and long in passing situations. In those situations Peterson comes out, Westbrook stays in. That being said, Madden is 100% right. AP can’t block a damn thing. And actually, if Peterson didn’t drop the ball he’d have at least double the catches. I don’t really think Madden is very good anymore, because of his penchant for stating the obvious. Well, what he’s said here is pretty obvious. I can think of at least 6 backs I’d rather have then Peterson. 1) Westbrook 2) Portis 3) Tomlinson 4) Marion Barber 5) Brandon Jacobs 6) Michael Turner. AP is over hyped because he is a great runner. The guys I picked do it all.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Remember that Payton averaged those 38 catches during a 14-game season when football wasn’t pass-happy. That’s a lot of catches out of the backfield back then.
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
“Walter Payton’s avg was 38 receptions a year… thats a lil over 2 a game… not that great. Also the vikings are not a pass every down team and chester taylor gets play time. Madden… just ugh. ”
That was in an era that didn’t pass as much as they do today. The Bears with Payton didn’t top 400 total pass attempts until 1980, Payton’s 5th year. In 1976, the Bears as a team had 278 pass attempts.
BTW for comparison’s sake, Peterson doesn’t even have 38 receptions for his CAREER.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am
you must also remember that madden tries to give a knob job to any player, choice, or idea of the bears. the only thing he is more in love with than the bears? brett favre
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I think some of you are missing the point, you can’t just say “that’s what Chester Taylor is for!” When your best runner is also your best blocking back and your best receiving back, it keeps the defense guessing. When you put Chester Taylor in there, the defense knows you’re less likely to run the ball and more likely to pass it, so they’re able to drop linebackers into coverage, add more CBs, etc… That’s what makes Clinton Portis so effective, when he’s in the defense doesn’t know if the Redskins are going to pass it or run it, since he’s one of the best at both. Having an all-around back is important.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:27 am
to proplayer3220:
Michael Turner does not do it all.
everything else you said was valid but that was just pretty ignorant.
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:28 am
“Walter Payton’s avg was 38 receptions a year… thats a lil over 2 a game… not that great.”
May not be a lot for a wide receiver but his 492 receptions are close in number to a lot of highly regarded WRs
156 more than Lynn Swann
45 fewer than John Stallworth
97 fewer than Fred Biletnikoff
9 fewer than Cliff Branch
65 more than Paul Warfield
145 more than John Taylor
3 fewer than Ahmad Rashad
3 more than Drew Pearson
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Rating: 4.75 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hold on here. Actual insightful analysis, coming from Madden? I call BS. Is there any confirmation that he actually said this?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Has Madden watched a Vikings game? Our receivers barely catch the ball! Lol…Seriously though, Adrian isn’t used in the passing game by design. Why would you want to use him in the passing game? He is a running back that just runs hard. He does provide some blocks, but he is still only a 2nd year player. Payton started to explode in his 3rd season. If AD stays healthy, he will be used as a receiver/blocker. But if you have Chester, why use AD in those situations? A great move by Childress not to get AD hurt on a 10 yard receiving play. You don’t think anyone would take a cheapshot at him if he was out in the open like that?
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I’ll take Sweetness over any back in history. He could juke you, he could run your ass right over, he could block, he could catch, he could leap with the best of them, and he could run.
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Bears fans better hope Peterson doesnt hear about this, the last thing you want to do is piss him off. When he runs mad he dominates, the last home game he had 192 yds and you could tell watching him on the sidelines that something got him angry.
And there may be two or three back in the leaugue that do more (blocking/catching) at the present time, but that still means there are at least 28-29 NFL teams that would love to have Adrian All-Day Peterson
Oh, and its Childress’s poor play calling not AD’s ability that limits the catches
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:43 am
“Adrian isn’t used in the passing game by design. Why would you want to use him in the passing game? He is a running back that just runs hard. He does provide some blocks, but he is still only a 2nd year player. Payton started to explode in his 3rd season. If AD stays healthy, he will be used as a receiver/blocker. But if you have Chester, why use AD in those situations? A great move by Childress not to get AD hurt on a 10 yard receiving play. You don’t think anyone would take a cheapshot at him if he was out in the open like that?”
Peterson is 10 times more likely to get hurt on a run than a reception. Childress’ best move would be to use AP in whatever way improves the team. If I’m the Vikings, I’d try every way I could to get AP the ball. He’s really their only playmaker (Berrian is hit-or-miss).
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:44 am
GOOD Point MTS.. I will take it a step further and say people in their lame fantasy leagues seem to confuse fantasy and reality and only look at stats. The POINT Madden was trying to make is that if Payton was asked to catch, he could do so because he had good hands, and was always in the right place if the QB had to check down. He was also great at picking up blitzes, etc etc. I never cared for MAdden too much as an analyst but he made a good football observation and he wasn’t “Dissing” Adrian Peterson in any way. This is his second yr in the league, yes Minnesota fans, there are still some things he could work on before he becomes the complete back and even Peterson will probably tell you this. Also, I love PFT and all but the headline was a little to suggestive, like Madden was calling him out or something. Nothing of the such.
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Well I say - Madden a great talker, but not a great announcer
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November 30th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Also, I personally dont wanna see non objective homers pimping their own teams running back as the best in the game. Redskin fan saying Portis is the best, Eagles fan saying Westbrook is the best, blah blah, its nauseating..Pretty soon Giants fan will come on and say “Brandon Jacobs is the gwweatesst running back in the whollle wide world.”
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I’ve never been a Bears fan, but Payton was the best back I’ve ever seen. He could do it all, including run with power and he was small.
Not only did he do everything on the field, he exuded class off of it. A lot of modern athletes could learn something from him. It’s a shame he passed so soon.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 30th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Madden is right on the money but this is nothing new. I think JIm Brown was great but if he wasnt 230lbs (same as the lineman back then), would he have been as great? Probably..but Peterson is the best pure runner..not the best overall RB. Plus he is hurt every year
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)