Who’s Hungrier: The Houston Texans Defense or Adrian Peterson?

Nov 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) celebrates his 61 yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

After a bounce back win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans are preparing for one of the most dangerous threats in the NFL, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson.

The Texans currently rank 5th against the run, allowing only 93.2 yards on average. Peterson is currently averaging 129 yards a game, yet needs to average about 150 yards in the next two games to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing yard record of 2,105. While it should appear difficult for any running back to rack up this amount, Peterson is the lone threat remaining on the Vikings, which allows him to get the ball early and often.

Peterson is having his greatest season yet after quickly recovering from a gruesome ACL injury last year. Despite the constant 8-man fronts he’s experiencing this year, Peterson is having a season like Maurice Jones-Drew did the year prior, as he was in a similar situation. The Texans are not one to take Peterson lightly, even though they clinched the AFC South with a win over the Colts this past Sunday. While other teams have failed to contain Peterson, the Texans have been adept at stuffing the run, allowing on Titans running back Chris Johnson to take control in week 4, for 141 yards.

The key to this game is the difference between how hungry the Texans are for a first round bye, compared to how hungry AP is to break Dickerson’s record. If the Texans are going to stop Peterson, they will need linebacker Brooks Reed back in action.

– Antonio Furgiuele