Inside The Vikings

Vikings legend egregiously snubbed from new NFL all-century team

Adrian Peterson isn't one of the four best running backs of this century, according to two ESPN writers.

Will Ragatz

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes against the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at the Metrodome.
Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes against the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at the Metrodome. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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ESPN revealed an NFL all-quarter century team on Wednesday from analytics-focused writers Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder. One thing immediately stood out when looking through it: Where on earth is Adrian Peterson?

The team includes three running backs: Priest Holmes, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry. Listed on the "practice squad," so essentially the honorable mention, is LaDainian Tomlinson. That means they don't consider Peterson to be even a top-four running back of the 21st century.

That is, put bluntly, flat-out wrong. Incorrect. Hogwash. Blasphemy. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course. It's also just a list created by two people, with no affiliation to the NFL. Still, this is an awful, egregious snub.

In explaining why they chose Henry over Peterson and Tomlinson for their third spot, the authors cited Henry's career 4.9 yards per carry average (compared to 4.6 for Peterson). But here's the thing: Peterson's YPC average during his Minnesota career, which lasted until he was Henry's current age, was 4.9. That mark dropped due to some less-efficient seasons at the tail end of his career, but why should he be penalized for that?

Advanced stats were also utilized in the process, according to the article:

These decisions were made mostly on statistical output, focusing on peak seasons while still rewarding longevity. We relied heavily on FTN's DYAR metric (defense-adjusted yards above replacement), which calculates a player's value over the course of the season compared to a replacement-level baseline. Other advanced statistics were also taken into account.

Using advanced metrics as a tool can be useful. But they can't be weighed so heavily that you snub Peterson from a team like this because he didn't have enough DYAR. That hurts the validity and value of the entire exercise. Box score stats and actually watching the games has to mean something, too.

The only person with more rushing yards than Peterson's 14,918 since 2000 is Frank Gore, who played for 16 seasons. The only person with more rushing touchdowns than Peterson's 120 is Tomlinson. We're talking about a guy who made the All-Pro team in each of his seven fully-healthy seasons with the Vikings, including four first-team selections. A guy who won the MVP award in 2012 after one of the greatest individual running back seasons in league history. Peterson combined peak and longevity like almost no one else at his position ever has.

I mean, just pull up some AP highlights if you need to. His blend of power, agility, vision, and breakaway speed was truly one of one.

Peterson and Tomlinson are pretty clearly the two best, most productive running backs of the century so far. I'm extremely confident that any sort of voting panel for an all-century team would elect both players. You can have a debate on the third spot between guys like Henry (who would be my choice), McCaffrey, Holmes, Shaun Alexander, and LeSean McCoy.

Holmes, who ESPN has as the No. 1 back of the century, had an incredible three-year peak from 2001-03, but longevity has to mean something, too. (By the way, his career yards per carry is 4.6). There doesn't really seem to be any justifiable argument for giving him the nod over Peterson. And McCaffrey is an incredible player, but he's been slowed by injuries. Peterson has over 8,000 more yards from scrimmage than Holmes since 2000, and over 6,000 more than McCaffrey. Again, what on earth are we doing?

At least they got it right at wide receiver by including both Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson. Other Vikings players who made the cut are Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen, and Patrick Peterson.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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