Could the Minnesota Vikings’ offense be more effective without Adrian Peterson?
While it sounds insane to say, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that there are some people within the Vikings organization who believe backup running back Jerick McKinnon could give the team a spark. Even before he suffered a knee injury, Peterson was not all that effective — and that dates back to last season.
As La Canfora notes, Peterson has averaged 2.9 yards per carry since his last big game in 2015, which was when he rushed for 158 yards on 29 carries in Week 12. Through two games this year, Peterson had rushed for just 50 yards on 31 carries.
Simply put, the running game has been terrible in Minnesota. With McKinnon, the Vikings are likely to throw more screen passes and get away from the power running game that Peterson is known for. Will that translate to better production on offense? Time will tell, but it could be one of several reasons there is serious doubt about Peterson’s future in Minnesota.
