Adrian Peterson put together, arguably, the best season for a running back in the history of the game and now he's just a day away from possibly being named the NFL's 2012 MVP. It's more than overcoming an injury, it's what he did for his team, where he took his team and the way he put up the numbers he did this past season. Peterson is and will be the 2012 MVP.
When the Vikings were 6-6 with four games remaining, Peterson made sure he gave it his all placing his team in the position to win.
He scored two touchdowns against their division rival Chicago Bears on top of burning them for 154 yards on the ground to get the four-game winning streak starter. He then went totally crazy on the St. Louis Rams rushing for 212 yards and a TD. He struggled a bit against the Houston Texans, but he finished with a score and 86 rushing yards before finally clinching the Vikings' playoff ticket with a victory over the Green Bay Packers after going for 199 yards on the ground with a receiving and rushing touchdown.
When his team needed him the most, Peterson found a way to punch the ball into the end zone. They made the playoffs, didn't go anywhere, but during the regular season, Peterson was the man.
Nobody expected the Vikings to compete. Their defense was tough, but average at best in terms of yards and points allowed. They play in the NFC North with featured three teams in the playoffs last season and the Vikings managed to bump the Bears out of competition.
Peterson made the team better as a whole and was accountable for almost 50 percent of the team's total yards on offense.
Led by Christian Ponder at quarterback, the Vikings totaled 5,385 yards in 2012. Peterson, by himself, rushed for a total of 2,097, add the 217 yards he caught and thats a total of 2,314 yards on offense. Do the math and that's 43 percent of the offense right there.
The fact that Peterson was injured and came back from ACL surgery unexpectedly is a great story, but you can save that tear jerker for his Comeback Player of the Year nomination, which he'll be competing with head-to-head with Peyton Manning.
If Peterson doesn't with the MVP this year, then something is wrong and he should demand a recount. However, Peterson is satisfied with his accomplishments and has stated that even if he doesn't win the award, he knows he was the MVP of 2012.
Who do you think should win the NFL 2012 MVP? Let's talk. Tweet me your reply @Frankie_SWR.
