NFL Preseason 2018: Winners and losers from Week 3

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 26: Mike White #3 of the Dallas Cowboys fumbles the ball after being sacked by Vontarrius Dora #59 of the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth quarter of a preseason football game at AT&T Stadium on August 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 24: Running back Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins rushes past linebacker Von Miller #58 of the Denver Broncos in the first quarter during a preseason game at FedExField on August 24, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Winner: The Adrian Peterson Renaissance

The injury bug has seemingly had a vendetta against Washington Redskins running back this offseason. After the team seemingly was gifted Derrius Guice at the end of the second round in the 2018 NFL Draft, the rookie out of LSU tore his ACL in his first taste of preseason action. The bad news didn’t stop coming there, however, as the Redskins also saw the likes of Byron Marshall and Samaje Perine get banged up as well.

As a result, the Redskins had to make a move that reeked of desperation. When there hadn’t been hardly any buzz about him at all for some time, Washington was forced to bring in veteran and future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson for a workout. And not only did they work out the former Viking, but they eventually ended up signing him to a veteran minimum deal.

Given what Peterson showed last season with both the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals after he was traded there, hopes weren’t particularly high for what he could be for the Redskins this season. After all, he’s well past 30 years old at this point and there are a lot of miles on the car. However, he proved that thought wrong, at least for one game.

Taking on the Broncos, Peterson looked quite good in the Washington rushing attack. He toted the ball 11 times for 56 yards on the night and looked to be in good form. And while he might not be ready ever again for 20-25 touches per game, he could well be a solid hand in the Redskins backfield this season as they need one.

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