Now, is it so incredulous to compare D-Will to AP?

[top dawg]

It was several weeks ago that someone posted a thread basically asking if Deangelo Williams and Adrian Peterson could be mentioned in the same same sentence with a straight face. Now, a few weeks later, I am thinking that the thought is not so out of this world anymore.

I will man up and say that I was a skeptic when D. Wheel (you heard it here first) got the nod, but still had a "Why not?", and "wait and see" attitude. I must admit that I was even beginning to think that the see-I-told-you-so camp was right when Williams got off to a slow start. But after the KC game, D. Wheel has rolled like no other RB in the league, not only justifying his status as the RB1, nullifying all the arguments and qualms of the naysayers, and moving him into the conversation of the APs, LTs, LJs and SJs of the league.

All those posts by fans beseeching the coaches to give Williams a chance have been vindicated. D. Wheel is a flat out stud.

[Delhommey]

Yes. Yes it is.

[nosuchthingasapanther]

williams can be ranked with peterson when and if he duplicates his productivity this season over the next season or 2.

until then, please stop this.

[mountainpantherfan]

You can not compare Williams and Peterson at this point...

Williams doesn't fumble the ball.

[Zaximus]

williams can be ranked with peterson when and if he duplicates his productivity this season over the next season or 2.

until then, please stop this.

Cause Peterson has been doing it for so many years?

Fact is Deangelo has been a stud for 3 years, he just didn't get the bulk of the carries till this year. Fact is, Deangelo has 1 fumble in 3 years and AP has a freaking ton this year, Foster levels in fact.

[mountainpantherfan]

williams can be ranked with peterson when and if he duplicates his productivity this season over the next season or 2.

until then, please stop this.

I don't totally disagree with you because I do want to see Williams do this over several seasons. However, Peterson was being mentioned in the same sentence as LT only halfway through his rookie season. I think it was a fair assesment of Peterson then and I don't see why it isn't a fair assesment of Williams now.

[top dawg]

Not trying to sound crazy, but when I think of the best, I think of Barry Sanders, Emmit Smith, Walter Peyton and Jim Brown. Adrian Peterson and Ladanian Tomlinson have yet to make that company, but maybe they will in a few more years. But, because they have their injury issues, and D. Wheel has not had any real injury issues, he may just surpass them one day not too far away(especially Peterson). The only thing that I would like to see is D. Wheel being used a little more in the passing game, and then the comparisons would be even more justified.

[Zaximus]

Pfft, I don't even include Emmit Smith, he had a beast team around him his career and usually his team was in the lead when he ran so it was easy pickins.

Now Barry Sanders, YES, Sweetness? YES.

[pantherclaw]

First of all, it's to early to be comparing Williams to any of the greats. Period.

Second of all, why would you want to compare Williams to AP?

In my opinion, AP has a lot to prove still.

Last, but not least, let Williams develop his own legacy.

[adallastiger]

I was the one who stated ten or so weeks ago that DeAngelo was just as good as Adrian Peterson. I got about thirty responses, only about two said maybe there was a comparison. Everyone else thought I was crazy and nuts and a homer because I went to U of M, though I graduated back in 69. However, I have followed DeAngelo closely.

I understand college is not NFL. But it is a good guide to go by. DeAngelo Williams was clearly the greatest college running back of all time. Clearly. Now, because he was not frequently on tv, and because he was not from a high profile school, he did not get as much credit as he deserved, though he was not without his supporters.

Now use your heads and think for a moment. Thnk of all the running backs since, say, l900 who have played college football. The following apply to DeAngelo:

He is tied with Tony Dorsett and I believe it is Ricky Williams for the number of games with 100 yards or more rushing

He is NUMBER ONE in college football history in all purpose yardage. NUMBER ONE

He ranked NUMBER ONE in yards per carry when he graduated, assuming a minimum amount of carries. DeAngelo, when he graduated, ranked NUMBER ONE out of all college running backs THAT EVER PLAYED in YPC

I could go on and on but I won't. It is nothing short of idiotic to think that Adrian Peterson or anyone else is better than DeAngelo Williams. He does NOT need two years to do this. He will continue to do it. On top of anything else, his intangibles...don't think they are not important...are huge. Do you think Emmitt Smith would dance with a competitive running back or treat Jonathan Stewart like DeAngelo does. DeAngelo also NEVER fumbles. Look at the NFL stats, I won't list them here. D is at 5.4 yards a carry.

The fact that people are starting to think like this now...what a huge difference from 8 weeks ago. Look at the stats people. DeAngelo and probably Adrian Peterson are the two best backs in the league, really hard to say one is much better than the other.

When you accomplish what DeAngelo did at the college level, it's crazy to think that he could not do that at the next level.

[Delhommey]

i could go on and on but i won't.

baaaaaaa hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahha

[Peppers90 NC]

Not trying to sound crazy, but when I think of the best, I think of Barry Sanders, Emmit Smith, Walter Peyton and Jim Brown. Adrian Peterson and Ladanian Tomlinson have yet to make that company, but maybe they will in a few more years. But, because they have their injury issues, and D. Wheel has not had any real injury issues, he may just surpass them one day not too far away(especially Peterson). The only thing that I would like to see is D. Wheel being used a little more in the passing game, and then the comparisons would be even more justified.

Nice, I like D-Wheels. As far as the comparison, they are pretty similar. Vikings no doubt have a more heralded offensive line, especially on the left side. Both are phenomenal backs and I am glad we have two of them. Other than that, just enjoy watching them play. We can let the sport writing geeks decide later in life who is better.

[Fiz]

while technically correct, that is a really awkward way to use incredulous

[The Link]

Adrian Peterson is better.

For now...