Redskins: How Adrian Peterson’s career has mirrored Marcus Allen’s

Differences

Marcus Allen was arguably the most complete running back of all-time. He could do it all; run, catch, block, and made it look easy. He played fullback behind Bo Jackson and was an outstanding blocker. He was great out of the backfield.

Allen had 587 receptions for 5,411 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was unstoppable down near the goal line, always finding the tiniest of crevices to get through. He was never the bell cow back Peterson was. In 16 seasons, Allen only had three seasons in which he had over 1,000 rushing yards, and they came in his first four years.

Peterson is one of the most physically gifted running backs of all-time. Explosive, fast, with outstanding vision and a legendary jump cut, Peterson always got better when given more carries to feel out a defense. He’s just not the blocker that Allen was and is not quite the threat out of the backfield as a receiver Allen was either.

But, Peterson is the definition of a bell cow back, someone who gets better as he gets more carries, and someone would carry the ball 20+ times every single game for an entire season. Peterson has been consistent throughout his career, logging eight 1,000-yard seasons.

With those similarities and differences in mind, let’s get to what Adrian Peterson’s 2020 outlook could look like with the Redskins based on Marcus Allen’s career.