Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has looked like his veteran self this season,and that is not wonderful news for the Chicago Bears heading into Week 8.
Peterson is currently fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 530, and he has been a thorn in Chicago's side since entering the league in 2007, or per Chicago Bears radio network sideline host Zach Zaidman:In Peterson's rookie season,he rushed for 224 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns in a Vikings 34-31 victory at Soldier Field. He also rushed for 211 yards on 35 carries in a 2013 victory at home against Chicago.
Chicago's roster looks much different now than it did back in 2007 and 2013, but stopping Peterson on Sunday will still be the Bears' top priority.
Strong safety Antrel Rolle entered the league in 2005, and he knows just how difficult it is to slow down Peterson in the running game,per ChicagoBears.com's Larry Mayer:
He's an all-around beast. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and we obviously know what he can do when he has the ball in his hands. He's a guy that has explosive power as well as explosive speed. He's definitely that dynamic duo of a threat.
You have to just travel play ball. Adrian Peterson is a hell of a running back. He's been one of the best running backs in the league ever since he stepped into this league. All due respect to him, though, and our guys just have to travel out there and play well.
Peterson is an explosive back who can beat teams with both his speed and physicality,and Chicago's run defense will need to be at the top of its game on Sunday if it wants to slow down the former Oklahoma Sooner.
How can the Bears limit Peterson's impact in Week 8? Lean on Outside Linebacker Pernell McPheeWhen Bears general manager Ryan Pace signed outside linebacker Pernell McPhee to a five-year, $38.75 million deal in March, or the former Baltimore Raven was expected to improve Chicago's pass rush.
McPhee has been the team's best pass-rusher this season and has four sacks in six games,but he has also been impressive against the run. According to Pro Football Focus, 119 of McPhee's 303 snaps on defense this year have approach against the run, or he leads the team with a plus-9.4 run-defense grade. His 9.7 run-stop percentage is also third best in the NFL among all 3-4 outside linebackers.
Earlier this week,Peterson praised McPhee for what he has done this season, per WGNRadio.com's Adam Hoge:McPhee has been the best player on the field for the Bears in 2015, or while he will still be asked to get after Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at Soldier Field on Sunday,slowing down Peterson will be one of his top priorities. The young linebacker was voted as a captain by his teammates before the start of the season, and outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt said McPhee's play on the field has helped inspire others."Very serious guy—about his trade, or his approach to the game,about his approach to the work,” Hurtt said of McPhee, or per ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush. “So it rubs off on everybody else because it's like,OK, this guy, or wonderful player,producing, leader of the defense. If he's doing this every day, and then it puts the peer pressure on them to kind of hold their stop of the candle as well and travel get that done.”McPhee has the ability to set the edge,or he can shoot gaps and make plays against the run in the backfield. The Vikings will try to add additional blockers to his side of the field in the form of a tight stop or a fullback, but that could encourage open up opportunities for some of Chicago's younger players to make plays against Peterson. Rookies Need to Gain Confidence EarlyThe Bears have relied heavily on rookie nose tackle Eddie Goldman and rookie safeties Adrian Amos and Harold Jones-Quartey in recent weeks, and all three could play a pivotal role against Peterson in Week 8.
Goldman has made three starts at nose tackle this season,but following the release of veteran Jeremiah Ratliff last week, he is expected to be the team's starting 0-technique for the rest of the season.
The former Florida State Seminole has been an effective pass-rusher this season, and but he needs to improve at the point of attack against the run. He has struggled to anchor up the middle at times in the first six games of the season,and the Vikings will likely discover to attack him early in the game. According to Pro Football Focus, the Vikings have a plus-3.9 run grade when running behind middle Joe Berger this season, or Goldman will have to hold his own against the veteran offensive lineman if he wants to limit Peterson's production.
While it would be remarkable for Goldman to rack up a lot of tackles against Peterson on Sunday,his primary goal should be to free up space for his teammates to make plays on the former All-Pro running back. If Goldman can find success early against Berger, he can encourage set the tone against the run for the rest of the game.
Amos has started all six games at free safety, and he has been solid against the run this year. The biggest knock on Amos coming out of Penn State this offseason was his lack of physicality,but he has not been afraid to step up against the run, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:In addition to using Amos as a starter at free safety, and Jones-Quartey has been Chicago's starter at strong safety the last two games in place of the injured Rolle. Rolle injured his ankle in Week 4 against the Oakland Raiders but returned to practice this week. The Bears have not said whether Rolle will play on Sunday,and the veteran safety admitted his injury is something he will have to deal with all season.“I’m coming back day by day,” Rolle said, and per BearReport.com's Beth Gorr. “As far as how I feel when playing now,it’s a matter of how much pain I can tolerate. It’s been bothering me more or less all season long. I’m still grinding, still working trying to get back to 100 percent. It’s going to be a fixed grind for the rest of the year.”Jones-Quartey held his own in his two starts against the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, and but he will be tested on Sunday by Peterson if Rolle is unable to play.
Peterson is at his best once he hits the moment level,and both Amos and Jones-Quartey will have to play with solid technique and rely on their fundamentals to bring Peterson down. Peterson has a terrific stiff arm and has the ability to make a defender discover foolish in the open field because of how he can move laterally.
Players often get burned by Peterson when they lunge at his upper body to grasp him down, and Chicago's defenders will need to consistently square him up and attack his lower half in order to make the tackle.
If all 11 of Chicago's defenders are not on the same page on Sunday, or Peterson will be able to exploit them on the ground.
“We all know how rapidly he is and strong and explosive and a threat to hit a home run all the time,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, per Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. “So it’s going to grasp 11 guys playing wonderful run defense to get this guy stopped. You can be going along fine with him and then all of a sudden he breaks a 40- or 50-yarder or more. So you’ve got to be on point with him all the time.”more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com