I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees it this way. Just shocked that so many want to sit there and throw AP under the bus when he was probably the least of our problems last night. One being the QB. However, this is week 1 and I'm not overly concerned right now. I know we have a better offense and defense than what they showed last night. We just straight up had a bad game.Mothman wrote:Most of the complaining about Peterson I'm seeing today doesn't hold much water, as far as I'm concerned. I watched the plays last night and I watched his carries and receptions again this morning. I don't know when he supposedly left so many yards on the field. It sure looked to me like when he had a hole to run through, he hit it just fine. I don't recall any needless juking. There was one short pass where he was headed outside, saw an unblocked defender heading off his path up the sideline and he tried to cut it inside where he was met by LBs. It's possible if he had continued to the outside he would have gained a few more yards before getting pushed out but I don't think his instinct to cut back was poor. It's just that the 49ers pursuit was good. If people want a back who will just take that safer route, get an extra 2-3 yards, then the Vikes should just start Asiata. One of the reasons Peterson has been such a great back is that he follows his instincts, takes chances, makes cuts and choices other backs wouldn't necessarily make. Sometimes that may cost him a few yards he could have gained and sometimes it results in a much bigger gain. Barry Sanders was constantly criticized for that sort of decision-making too but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Peterson had a few good runs yesterday and one terrific run after catch play, but otherwise he was looking at a jammed up line of scrimmage, being hit be penetrating defenders in the backfield, etc. He appeared a little rusty but the 49ers were clearly keying on him and the Vikes didn't do enough to open things up. I don't think he left many yards on the field at all.
If the Vikes want to get Peterson going, they have to block better and they have to commit to playing him and running him. He can't gain yards standing on the sidelines and unless he's able to break a big gain, he's simply not going to put up big numbers against a disciplined defense with a mere 10 carries. The 49ers focused on him. Everyone is going to focus on him and it will be that way until the Vikes passing game makes teams pay enough to adopt a different strategy.
If Peterson had been running behind the SF line last night, with the way they were opening holes and pushing Vikes defenders around, he might have gained 200 yards.
It all starts up front, folks.
Look at teams like Philly and Seattle. Both favorites in the NFC and both losers to much lesser teams on the road.
10 carries? is pitiful
