GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Adrian Peterson has fielded thousands of questions from the media in his six NFL seasons, but on Wednesday, the Vikings star running back was asked one he's never heard before: "How would you try to tackle Adrian Peterson?"
When the question came up in his conference call with Wisconsin media four days before a NFC North divisional showdown with the Packers, Peterson was stumped.
"How would I tackle him?" Peterson responded. "Um, I don't know. That's a good question. I don't know. I would definitely try, though, with the mindset I have. It's something I've got to think about.
"I've never been asked that question before. That's a good one. I'll tweet it."
Peterson has yet to tweet about it to his 325,000 followers, but he has made his fair share of defensive players look like amateurs throughout his career. Peterson does not go down easily, as evidenced by his 5.8 yards per carry this season.
According to ProFootballFocus.com, defensive players have missed 43 tackles on Peterson in 2012, the second-most in the NFL among running backs (Tampa Bay's Doug Martin has 44).
Peterson was later asked if it's impossible to tackle him.
"Is it impossible? I would like to think that it's impossible," Peterson said. "I've been tackled several times, but I would definitely like to think that it's not."
Peterson, despite playing this season less than one year after tearing multiple ligaments in his knee, leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,236 through 11 games.
"It doesn't even look like he's missed a beat," Packers safety Morgan Burnett said of Peterson. "He really responded very well (after his injury). When you see him on the field, he still looks like the same Adrian Peterson."
Peterson is tops among running backs this season in rushes of more than 20 yards, but his seven touchdowns are down from his typical annual production.
For Green Bay this Sunday, preparation defensively is focused on trying to keep Peterson's touchdown total right where it is.
"The way he runs with physicality, you can see it in his face that he's looking to deliver the blow more so than take it," Burnett said. "He has good vision and he's not going to only use his power to run you over, but he's capable of making good cuts and making moves in the open field."
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