Last year at this time, months before the NFL preseason week 1 odds were set there was plenty of buzz surrounding the Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson. There were certainly high expectations in the NFL preseason odds for the young back, but nobody in football, not even the most knowledgeable of fans could have predicted in the NFL preseason week 1 odds that he would have the monster season that he had. And as the NFL week 1 odds match ups for 2008 approach the RB will look to prove to the NFL odds makers that 2007 was not a rookie fluke.
To be sure, the going will not be easy this year as every team the Vikings face, beginning with their NFL preseason week 1 odds opponents will be keying on the elusive back. And why shouldn’t they, considering that Peterson put together perhaps the most impressive rookie season from NFL week 1 to week 16 in the history of leagues. Some NFL odds makers have even gone so far as make him the early season favorite for the offensive NFL MVP even before the NFL preseason week 1 odds are set.
That could very well happen and he has one thing in his favor: the Vikings enter NFL week 1 odds action with one of the best O-lines in the business. No runner can amass the numbers that Peterson amassed last year without help from the hawgs and they’ll be rooting in the trenches trying to help him out as soon as the first snap of the NFL week 1 odds action begins.
But there are two huge question marks surrounding Peterson’s quest for a 2000 yard rushing season as some NFL preseason odds pickers are predicting. The first is the simple problem that the Vikings enter the NFL week 1 odds with arguably the worst passing game in the NFL. With defenses keying on Peterson from the first snap of the NFL preseason week 1 odds, this aspect of the offense might improve, but it certainly won’t help Peterson. Secondly, just as stated above the opposing defense will stuff 11 men in the box from the first snap of the NFL preseason week 1 game to the end of the season.
It’s not easy to run in those conditions and it certainly won’t be easy for Peterson to provide an encore to last season’s break out performance.