Now that the season has come to a close, Redskins.com will select its favorite things from Redskins fans, players, coaches and team personnel over the last 12 months.
We'll continue with our five favorite Adrian Peterson moments of the year.
1. One and One Hundred
In his first regular season game as a Redskin, Adrian Peterson showed that he still had plenty left in the tank. Running for 96 yards on 26 carries, the running back quickly became a focal point of the offense against the Arizona Cardinals. AD also added a touchdown on a one-yard run in the second quarter, his first as a Redskin. The score was also the 100th of his career, a big milestone for one of the best running backs the game has ever seen. To top it off, his efforts came in a 24-6 win for Washington.
2. Swiss Cheese
Watching Peterson run all over the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 of the 2018 season, you wouldn't be able to understand how the running back didn't get an invite to any training camps. Breaking off long runs while juking and trucking defenders, Peterson looked like vintage AD at FedExField. Finishing with 120 yards rushing and two touchdowns, both scored in the first half, Peterson helped the Redskins pick up a big 31-17 win over Aaron Rodgers and company. Even on a new team, Peterson continued his dominance against Green Bay, picking up his ninth 100-yard game against them.
"I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't have anything against them," Peterson said after the game. "It's all about getting that W. I guess it just happens."
3. Redemption in New York
Coming off back-to-back games in which he had run for over 95 yards, Peterson entered a Week 8 match up with the New York Giants clicking on all cylinders. However, there was one part of his game that was still missing: the homerun-touchdown run. In a crucial spot against a division-rival, he finally broke one loose. Just a few drives earlier, Peterson had coughed up a fumble that allowed the Giants to hang around in the game. With three minutes remaining in the game and the Redskins leading 13-6, he made up for his mistake.
Bouncing to the outside and following a key block from offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, Peterson ripped off a 64-yard touchdown run to seal a Washington victory. The run put him over 100 yards, as he would finish the day with a season-high 149 yards on the ground. The running back had also caught a seven-yard touchdown earlier in the game, something he hasn't done many times in his career.
4. 90 Yards To The Record Books
In the second quarter of the Redskins' Monday Night matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington offense was in a bad spot. Trailing 7-3, quarterback Mark Sanchez was about to take his first snap as a Redskin backed up to Washington's own 10-yard line. Things could have gotten messy, but luckily Adrian Peterson was there to save the day.
Sanchez's first snap was a handoff to Peterson, who found the hole, ran through it and took off down the field for a 9-yard touchdown run. At 33-years of age, it was his longest touchdown run of his career and the longest by any player of that age.
"Once I broke free from the arm tackle," Peterson said, "it was lights out in my eyes."
If that wasn't enough, it was Peterson's 106th rushing touchdown, tying him with legendary back Jim Brown on the all-time list.
5. Another Game, Another Milestone
Despite his efforts coming in a heartbreaking loss to the Tennessee Titans, AP once again racked up the accolades during Week 16. Running for 119 yards, he helped the Redskins offense maintain a strong time of possession and stay competitive the entire game. Additionally, his yardage allowed him to surpass 1,000 rushing yards for the season, the eighth time he has done that in his career. During the matchup, Peterson also passed Eric Dickerson for eighth all-time in rushing yards.
