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Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy thinks he’s the best running back in the NFL.
We’ll get to that in a second, but rewind time four years to think about the last guy to challenge Peterson’s supremacy as the game’s best back. It was then-Titans star Chris Johnson, who after rushing for more than 2,000 yards in 2009 told the world that he was better than Peterson.
Fast-forward to today and Peterson is still considered the top back in the game.
McCoy made his case during an interview with ESPN’s “First Take.”
“My brother always rips me all the time, trying to make me play harder,” McCoy said. “I say, ‘I’m the best,’ and he’ll say, ‘Did Adrian Petersonretire?’ I look at the last three years and everything. I think AP has been the best back for so long, and he’s been doing it for so long, that’s why he automatically gets the best running back [title].”
“But the last three years? I’ve been All-Pro, first-team, twice. I never leave the field. I block. I catch. I never leave the field. I don’t have anybody do my job; I do it myself. Tons of credit goes out to Adrian Peterson. I’m a big fan of his, for sure. But I feel I’m the best.”
McCoy, like Johnson in 2009, led the league in rushing last season with a 1,607 yards. Peterson tallied just 1,266 yards – a far cry from the 2,097 rushing yards he racked up in his 2012 MVP season.
But over the past three seasons, Peterson has played one less game than McCoy, but still out-rushed him by nearly 600 yards (4,333 yards to 3,756 yards). Peterson also has six more rushing touchdowns (34 to 28).
According to 1500 ESPN, McCoy’s argument about staying on the field comes to life in the passing game, where he’s been much more productive than Peterson. Since 2011, McCoy has 154 receptions for 1,227 yards and eight touchdowns. Peterson has 87 catches for 527 yards and three touchdowns.
Peterson hasn’t commented on the latest great debate.
