Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Peterson ranked in Top 10 of All-Decade Team
Earlier this week, two former Vikings – running back Adrian Peterson and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson – were announced as part of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
NFL.com's Adam Rank then evaluated the full All-Decade Team and ranked all 52 players who were named to the roster. The team had 53 positions, but Darren Sproles was selected for an offensive flex position and punt returner. Rank wrote:
My rankings criteria involved accounting for the major accolades the All-Decade Team members earned from 2010 to '19 – All-Pros, Pro Bowls, MVPs, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards, etc. – combined with their respective impact on the game, something I admit is far less objective and harder to measure.
Peterson made Rank's top 10, landing at No. 8 overall.
While it's difficult for a running back to maintain a high level of success for an entire decade, Peterson came pretty close; he averaged at least 4.2 yards per carry in each of the seven seasons since 2010 in which he had at least 200 carries. He led the NFL in rushing twice, including in 2012, when he ran for 2,097 yards and became only the third non-QB to win MVP in the last 20 seasons. That the man they call All Day is still productive at age 35 is both surprising and totally inevitable.
The only players ranked ahead of Peterson were, from 7-1, QB Aaron Rodgers, T Joe Thomas, LB Luke Kuechly, DE J.J. Watt, DT Aaron Donald, LB Von Miller and QB Tom Brady.
Patterson was 31st on Rank's list.
Seems strange to have Patterson higher on this list than [Devin] Hester, but CP was fantastic during the decade. Despite getting a late start, he ranked first in kick return yards (6,101), TDs (seven) and average (29.9 yards, min. 20 returns) during the 10-year period.