When Bad Is Good

I keep thinking about one particular play from the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers Monday Night game of a couple weeks ago. There was a lot of misery in that game but one play rises to the top. The Vikings had a run to the right called for Adrian Peterson. Packers cornerback Charles Woodson was dynamite all night. On this play it seemed that he had come straight from the Vikings huddle. He was standing all by himself, no one to guard, right where the play was supposed to go. A veteran quarterback would immediately see this and audible. Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder stayed with the called play. Peterson got the ball and Woodson stopped him cold. A loss on the play. Woodson made a great play on a fantastic runningback. Ponder's a smart kid. In the future he'll see that and likely audible. This play keeps coming to mind because I'm not so sure that Ponder screwed up. Ponder probably did see Woodson. He was hard to miss standing there by himself. Woodson is an extremely talented player. One of the finest defensive players in the league. Still, I think that Ponder knows the kind of player that he has behind him in Adrian Peterson. I like Peterson's chances against anyone, one on one. Even Woodson. Ponder probably thought so too. On this occasion, Woodson made the play. He never actually brought Peterson to the ground but he did enough until help arrived. More often than not Peterson wins these battles.

This play sticks with me because everything about my thinking is wrong. Fundamentally, Ponder has to see Woodson and change the play. Its an indication of the talent that the Vikings have in Adrian Peterson. He can make a bad play call a good one simply because he's so good. Its similar to throwing into coverage when you have a receiver like Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, or Randy Moss in his prime. They are so big and position themselves so well that they can still make a play. Throwing into double coverage is usually a poor decision. Throwing to those receivers in any coverage is usually a good decision. Putting the ball in Adrian Peterson's hands in any situation, even when the defense is aligned to stop him, can be a touchdown.