Whether his shoulder was dislocated, strained or torn in Week 5, here's what we know: Adrian Peterson's shoulder hurt a lot when he took the field in Week 6.
But the team was already without backup running back Chris Thompson, so Peterson gritted his teeth and rushed for 97 yards, his second-highest total of the season.
That included this play in which he lost his shoe in a defender's facemask and scampered for another 20 yards:
Shoulder injury or not, Adrian Peterson is still running over defenses.pic.twitter.com/FwGfwnfp2F
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 14, 2018After the game, his head coach praised his performance.
"Our backs were very good. Adrian, I can't say enough about what he did today as far as playing through the pain," Jay Gruden told the media. "The shoulder, the knee--what a pro he is."
Meanwhile, in the locker room, Peterson required some help in getting out of his pads, as reported by Brian McNally:
Jay Gruden gushed over Adrian Peterson’s 97-yard performance with that painful shoulder injury. “What a pro!” In locker room a team staffer just needed to help Peterson pull his pads over his head.#Redskins
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) October 14, 2018That's a gritty performance, and could lead to limitations for No. 26 for the rest of the season.
The Redskins knew coming into this game that Peterson would be limited as a receiver and in pass protection as a result of this shoulder injury. That proved true, as Peterson finished with zero receptions and zero targets. Recasting Peterson as a one-dimensional asset makes his performance even more impressive, as Peterson can only help the team by running the ball.
How many other running backs can average nearly six yards per carry when the defense knows what is coming?
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