NFL Week 10 awards: Adrian Peterson is (still) quite good
By Brad Rowland
Offensive Player of the Week
Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson might still be the best running back in the league.
The 30-year-old rushed for 203 yards on 26 carries in Minnesota’s 30-14 win over Oakland, and while 7.8 yards per carry would be impressive for anyone, that wasn’t Peterson’s only notable statistic. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Peterson accumulated a staggering 129 yards after contact in the game, which would double as the highest rushing total for any back in the league for the week. Yes, Adrian Peterson rushed for more yards after being hit, than anyone else gained in total.
Peterson probably isn’t the same player that gained 2,097 yards on the ground in 2012, but he doesn’t need to be in order to hold the “belt” as the best running back in football. On Sunday, he proved that he is still very much worthy of that title.
Runner-up: Larry Fitzgerald, WR Arizona Cardinals
Defensive Player of the Week
Jasper Brinkley, LB New York Giants
At the age of 30, Jasper Brinkley isn’t supposed to be playing the best football of his career. The former South Carolina standout contributed seven tackles and a forced fumble in a Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then topped that strong performance in a big way in a loss to the Patriots this past week.
Brinkley posted 12 tackles to go along with a sack and a forced fumble in the game, and he was all over the field as a detractor to New England’s usually dynamic offense. Our friends at Pro Football Focus ranked Brinkley as the second-best linebacker of the week (trailing only Carolina’s Luke Kuechly). He was fantastic despite the fact that New York came up short on the scoreboard.
Runner-up: Aaron Donald, DL St. Louis Rams
Next: Week 10 MVP