Adrian Peterson, the Redskins prized offseason pickup, showed the Washington faithful on Sunday why this team really needs him.
Adrian Peterson, the Washington Redskins prized offseason pickup, returned to the scene where it looked like his Hall-of-Fame career was finished.
Phoenix is a place that will be a nightmare for Peterson for years to come. That’s because, after a neck injury he sustained in Week 12 of the 2017 season, it looked like AP’s career was done for.
After he was released from the Arizona Cardinals, Peterson was in need of a savior to swoop in and take a chance on him. Fortunately for Adrian, the Redskins were in need of a running back and see if Peterson still had what it took to be a feature back in the ever-evolving NFL, Washington signed him to a “prove-it” deal.
Well, in his Redskins debut in the very same stadium where his career almost ended, Peterson is proving his worth.
Before the teams left the field for the locker room at halftime, Peterson notched two career marks.
The first was surpassing Jim Brown to become the NFL’s 10th all-time rushing leader. The second came on a touchdown run — the 100th of his career — that would give the Redskins a 14-0 lead. That tied Peterson with Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk, two legends of their own, at seventh on the all-time rushing TD list.
It was an offseason of change in the nation’s capital and Redskins fans didn’t know if all of the changes were for the better. Well, after Washington blitzed the Cardinals defense for 21 first-half points, those doubts, at least for the moment, may have tempered a bit.
Also dying down is the rumors that Peterson doesn’t have it anymore. If he can continue churning out yardage on the ground, the Redskins might have what it takes to impress.