Fresh off of a disappointing debut with the New Orleans Saints that saw him throw more daring glances to his coach than defenders to the ground, Adrian Peterson elaborated on his low snap count.
"I didn't sign up for nine snaps, though. But unfortunately that's the way the game played out," Peterson told reporters Thursday, per ESPN's Mike Triplett. "In my mind, personally, I knew it was gonna take some adjusting. You know, me and Mark [Ingram] played in the last preseason game, and [Alvin Kamara] didn't even play that game. So with all three of us being out there, I knew it would take a game or so to kind of get adjusted. So we'll see how things [go] this week."
Peterson tallied just six carries for 18 yards in New Orleans' Monday night loss in Minnesota. Ingram and Kamara combined for just 13 carries between them, but saw more time on the field late as New Orleans transitioned to a pass-heavy attack as its deficit increased.
Despite his extended time on the sidelines, the future Hall of Famer's confidence in his ability hasn't waned.
"I can get it started at any point in the game," Peterson explained. "So I'm not that type of guy. I can take it the distance on the first play, I've done that in the past before. Just whenever it's in my hands, I know that's an opportunity to take it to the house."
Peterson must have known when he signed his two-year, $7 million deal with the Saints in the offseason that he wouldn't be "the guy" in a crowded RB room. But New Orleans' investment in A.D. will go wasted if they don't ratchet up his carries.
The pace of their opener likely dictated the Saints' decision to go away from Peterson, but if the team doesn't utilize the 32-year-old back more, in rushing and passing situations, he'll continue to make an argument for more snaps, further souring New Orleans' running back gumbo.
