EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The mantra Adrian Peterson has long used to describe his running style is, "Famine, famine, feast." It's doubled as an encouragement to Vikings playcallers to stick with the run, knowing that a big play could be lying just beyond a stretch of minimal gains.
Peterson is tied for the league lead with three runs of 40 yards or more and he's tied for third in the NFL with six runs of 20-plus yards. But whether it's because Peterson is running behind a makeshift offensive line, because he's facing more run blitzes or perhaps because he's not quite at the peak of his powers, he's had to endure longer famines between the feasts.