HOUSTON — When the Houston Texans take on the 8-2 Tennessee Titans on Sunday, they will do so without the task of slowing down MVP candidate Derrick Henry. The two-time Pro-Bowl running back was well on his way to his third consecutive rushing title before a Jones fracture in his foot sidelined Henry for the season.
Although Houston does not have to worry about the talents of Henry at Nissan Stadium, the Texans will still have an arduous mission to defend former NFL rushing champion, Adrian Peterson.
Peterson signed with the Titans as a free agent following the loss of Henry and has helped fill the vacant void left by the All-Pro running back. In 2015, Peterson became the first player since Barry Sanders in 1996 to win three career NFL rushing titles (2008, 2012 & 2015).
“He’s a GOAT — Hall-of-Famer,” Texans’ defensive Jordan Jenkins said. “A lot of these younger guys have never got to play A.P. [Peterson] and never got to tackle him. A lot of the guys’ goal might be to get a good lick on A.P., so that’s just another added bonus to this Sunday.”
At 36-years-old and far removed from his All-Pro days as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson can still disrupt his opposing team’s defensive game plan to stop the run.
Prior to joining the Titans in 2021, Peterson rushed for a combined 1,502 yards on 337 attempts, with 12 touchdowns over the previous two seasons with the Washington Football Team (19) and Detroit Lions (20).
In his first two games with the Titans, the future Hall-of-Famer has rushed for 21 yards twice, but Peter could be in line for a big game — given that he has yet to slow down coming out of the backfield.
According to Jenkins — who last played against Peterson as a member of the Jets in 2019 — the 2012 league MVP winner is still a heavy trash talker in the twilight of his luxurious 14-year career.
“He’s still running that ball hard,” Jenkins said. “He’s out there, he’s trying to prove that he can still play. He’s trying to dominate.”
“He approaches the game the same way he did in his younger days, and I feel like now he’s out there trying to hit guys even harder. He’s not that hitting that hole soft, he’s not looking to go down. He’s trying to fight and trying to put his body into you and just run through you.”
Peterson began his career as a member of the Vikings as a first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in 2007. Peterson has since established himself as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history after recording 14,862 career rushing yards and 119 touchdowns in 182 games played.