Ron Rivera not excited about facing Adrian Peterson

When Ron Rivera decided to cut Adrian Peterson before the start of the regular season, the Washington coach made his reasons for the move clear. The team had overhauled the running back position, and Peterson wasn’t a fit in offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s multi-back scheme. 

Third-rounder Antonio Gibson and free-agent signings J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber all seemed to be better suited for what the Washington Football Team had planned.

Releasing Peterson, Rivera knew, meant another team would likely scoop up the veteran. Meaning Rivera and Co. might have to face the team’s 2019 MVP again on the football field.

That’s exactly what happened as the Detroit Lions — the team Washington plays Sunday — signed Peterson to a one-year deal.

Rivera isn’t looking forward to it.

“I’m never excited about playing against a future Hall of Famer,” Rivera said, “that’s for doggone sure.”

After eight games with Detroit, Peterson has 350 yards on 93 carries — 3.8 yards per attempt. While that leads Detroit, Peterson’s yardage is less than Gibson’s 431 yards on 90 carries. Peterson is seeing far less playing time — only 34% of the snaps — in Detroit and his production is down compared to his two seasons in Washington, where he was the team’s leading rusher.

Peterson, though, would insist not to doubt him. In an interview with a local television outlet, Peterson vowed this week to show Washington “what they let go.”

Washington has struggled to contain opposing running backs this year. The team is giving up 128.6 yards per game on the ground, including a season-high 166 last week to the Giants.

Peterson’s season-high is 93.

“Adrian has been great since he’s walked in our building,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “He’s someone that obviously I’ve gone against for quite a long time and had the upmost respect and admiration for him and how he plays the game and what he’s able to do. When he walked in the building, you just knew why this guy has been in the league for so long. … Everything he does is at a top-notch level.”

Even if Peterson has a big game against Washington, it would be unlikely to change the team’s thinking about the move. When Peterson was released, Rivera emphasized that it had nothing to do with whether the 35-year-old could still be productive. Rather, Gibson and McKissic make Washington’s offense less predictable and it allows the team to use a variety of different formations.

Here’s an example of how that plays out: Defenses are accounting for Gibson’s versatility any time he’s on the field. The third-rounder has faced eight or more defenders in the box — the area where defenses load up to stop the run — just on 11.1% of his snaps. By contrast, that number is 26.8% for Peterson — the ninth-highest mark in the league.

McKissic, who joined Washington from Detroit, provides similar versatility. The 27-year-old is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, but he’s also averaging 7.3 yards per reception. In fact, McKissic has more receiving yards (248) than rushing (168). McKissic’s playing time has gone up in recent weeks and he played a season-high 85% of the snaps against New York.

Rivera said that when he talks with opposing coaches, they often note the “multi-dimension” that his backs provide. Washington will also disguise plays pre-snap by sending players in motion to avert the defense’s attention.

“They become a problem for defenses,” Rivera said.

After he was cut, Peterson told multiple outlets he was “blindsided” by the decision. He said that he had noticed his reps were reduced in training camp over the weeks leading up to the move, but was still shocked when he was told the news.

The Lions, though, didn’t hesitate in picking him up. Released on a Friday. Peterson was signed two days later.

“There’s players that become available and really often time when that situation comes up, I don’t question it,” Patricia said. “It’s just exciting when it’s an opportunity for us to try and add a great football player like him to our team.”