Adrian Peterson has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in 2007. When all is said and done, he could go down as one of the greatest of all time.
Chris Johnson has also been one of the better rushers in the league, but he has declined quite a bit since he rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 — his second season with the Tennessee Titans. Most people would tell you that Peterson is a better player if for no other reason than work ethic. He rushed for over 2,000 yards last year coming off reconstructive knee surgery, but Johnson wants to remind everyone that he was “CJ2K” before that happened.
“I did it first,” Johnson told Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com. “Not one time did I sit back and say he did something that I can’t do. I did it first. He’s a great back. But I can’t sit here and say out of my own mouth that Adrian Peterson is better than me. All the things he’s done, I’ve done the same things. I did them first.”
When Johnson has room to run, no one is better. He’s arguably the fastest back in the league, but he’s not going to lower his shoulder and run through anyone. Peterson makes his own room by not shying away from contact. Johnson tends to quit if his offensive line isn’t at the top of its game.
“I’ve never been the guy who complains about the line or anything like that,” he said. “You just roll with it. But look at the other backs in this league — Adrian, (Arian) Foster, (Jamaal) Charles. Look at their tapes, they have room to run.”
Wait, what? Johnson may try to disguise it, but he has certainly criticized his offensive line in the past. He makes excuses, which is something we don’t hear Peterson do very often. Stop me if you’ve heard this before:
“A lot of people seem to forget real easy,” Johnson said. “They forget what I’ve done. They forget what I can do. You watch. I’ve done some things that a lot of backs haven’t done, and I will do a lot more.”
Had CJ?K not said the exact same things last offseason, we might be excited about his potential in 2013. He may still be taken in the first round of fantasy drafts, but another 1,243-yard, six-touchdown season isn’t going to make him worthy of a first-round pick. Peterson, on the other hand, is a no-brainer. If you ask me, there isn’t even an argument to be made anymore about who’s a better overall back.
