Pacifist Viking - Viking Offseason: Don't Forget Chester Taylor

Joe Fischer is a split personality: a mild-mannered English teacher that turns into a raving, obsessive lunatic when the subject turns to the Minnesota Vikings. He blogs at Pacifist Viking, and will share his thoughts on the Beloved Purple here at 10,000 Takes.

Viking Offseason: Don't Forget Chester Taylor

The Vikings had a wildly exciting running back last season. He averaged 5.4 yards per attempt and had a long run of 84 yards. He made a lot of big plays during the team’s surprising five game winning streak last season.

I am, of course, talking about Chester Taylor.

Viking fans clamored last season for more carries for rookie Adrian Peterson, and Peterson was spectacular. He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt and had two 200+ yard rushing games: his 224 yard game at Chicago and his 296 yard game at home against the Chargers are certainly two of my favorite Viking games of all-time. Everybody is really excited about what Peterson can do next season.

But the 2007 Vikings didn’t rank #1 in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, or rushing yards per attempt last season because of Adrian Peterson alone. Chester Taylor was a very strong contributor to the team. And I certainly hope Taylor will be a key contributor to next year’s team. If you have one running back that averages 5.6 yards per attempt, and a second running back that averages 5.4 yards per attempt, there is no reason to wear down one back with 30+ carries a game. The Viking coaches will be wise to mix Taylor and Peterson together next season.

Adrian Peterson is special. I want him to be special getting 20-25 touches a game for the next 10 years, not special getting 30-35 touches a game for the next four years. The Vikings have a strong offensive line and a very good second running back. They need to utilize Peterson in as many ways as they can, but they should definitely keep Chester Taylor heavily in the mix. Instead of wearing Peterson down, he can be kept fresh and healthy.

And ideally, the Vikes should find ways to get Taylor and Peterson on the field at the same time next year. As the top two skill position players on the roster, they should be on the field as often as possible, and they could be dangerous if they play together. That could keep the running attack from getting too predictable, and it could keep Peterson on the field for passing downs.

(all statistical data gathered at http://www.pro-football-reference.com)