Adrian Peterson has looked a little bit more like Adrian Peterson each week this season, and the stats back it up.
Peterson leads the NFL in rushing with 291 yards through three games, and he’s determined to finish with his name at the top of the rushing list. The number he’d prefer to see next to his name at the top of the list: 2,500 yards.
“That’s one of my personal goals,” Peterson said Thursday, via the Pioneer Press. “I’m sitting here and talking about 2,500 yards and I better get the rushing title. So that’s definitely one of my goals.”
To reach 2,500 yards, Peterson needs to average 170 yards per game over the final 13 games of the season.
Peterson rushed for only 31 yards in a Week 1 loss to San Francisco. He padded his stats with 134 yards in Week 2 against Detroit and 126 yards last week against San Diego.
All the while he’s increased his yards per carry each week, rising to the tune of 3.1 yards per carry to 4.6 yards per carry all the way up to 6.3 yards per carry.
Calculating route:
Hazard ahead.
Rerouting.
Turn left.
Tailgater: Sharp Left Turn.AP, you’ve reached the HOUSE. http://t.co/QIhLlGkVKa
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2015
Denver’s stingy defense has allowed only four rushing attempts to go further than 10 yards this season. But they’re fully aware of how quickly Peterson could change things on Sunday.
“We had better tackle well as a team,’’ Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said, per ESPN. “That’s the biggest thing. … He’s the best in the business, has been for a long time, and we know that he’s going to touch it. We had better have everybody rallying to the football.’’
Denver also boasts talented edge rushers – like DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller – who will need to be picked up in pass protection by Peterson and other running backs.
“They’re the No. 1 defense for a reason,” Peterson said, via Sports Glory. “We just have to make sure that we’re on point starting with our front, but as far as the running backs, making sure that we’re hearing our calls and making sure we’re dialed in on each play. I know that they’re going to present something new to us.”
DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller respectively have the 1st and 4th most pressures in the entire NFL #MeetMeAtTheQB pic.twitter.com/sU0Xw7Nbdb
— PFF (@PFF) September 23, 2015
