StaTuesday: Correlation of preseason to regular season for Adrian Peterson
For the fourth straight season, Adrian Peterson did not carry the ball in any of the Minnesota Vikings' exhibition games.
The question is, does it matter?
As Peterson has gotten older, he obviously is looking to conserve his body and isn't worried about getting any game conditions in before the start of the season.
But in each of the last three years -- sans a preseason carry -- Peterson has not topped 100 yards in Minnesota's regular-season opener. In the five seasons Peterson did see action in an exhibition (or two or three), three of those times he rushed for over 100 yards in his regular-season debut and 98 in another.
Of course, those three 100-yard games also occurred in his first three years in the league, when his legs (and body) were fresher.
Maybe there's nothing to be made of it, or perhaps that preseason work does help after all, no matter your age. Here's the preseason and regular-season numbers of Peterson year-by-year.
2014
Preseason: Did not play
Opening game: 21 carries, 75 yards, 0 touchdowns at St. Louis
Season: 0 100-yard games, 75 total rushing yards
2013
Preseason: Did not play. Did start in the third game at San Francisco, but did not get the ball.
Opening game: 18 carries, 93 yards, 2 TDs at Detroit
Season: 5 100-yard games (first one in Week 2), 1,266 total rushing yards
2012
Preseason: Did not play
Opening game: 17 carries, 84 yards, 2 TDs vs. Jacksonville
Season: 100 100-yard games (first one in Week 4), 2,097 total rushing yards
2011
Preseason: 21 carries, 100 yards, 0 TD in 3 games (did not play in the fourth game)
Opening game: 16 carries , 98 yards, 0 TD at San Diego
Season: 3 100-yard games (first one Week 2), 970 total rushing yards
2010
Preseason: 17 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD in 3 games (did not play in the fourth game)
Opening game: 19 carries, 87 yards, 0 TD at New Orleans
Season: 5 100-yard games (first one in Week 2), 1,298 total rushing yards
2009
Preseason: 25 carries, 181 yards, 1 TD in 3 games (did not play in the fourth game)
Opening game: 25 carries, 180 yards, 3 TDs at Cleveland
Season: 3 100-yard games, 1,383 total rushing yards
2008
Preseason: 20 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD in 2 games (started, but did not touch the ball in opening game; did not play in the fourth game)
Opening game: 19 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD at Green Bay
Season: 10 100-yard games, 1,760 total rushing yards
2007
Preseason: 30 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD in 4 games
Opening game: 19 carries, 103 yards, 0 TD vs. Atlanta
Season: 6 100-yard games, 1,341 total rushing yards
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