Drew Brees, Adrian Peterson likely to become rare Hall of Fame backfield tandem

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By Josh Katzenstein

jkatzenstein@nola.com,

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

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It's a rare thing for quarterbacks and tailbacks to share an NFL backfield while each player is on track for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the Super Bowl era, just 10 duos have individually earned the honor, and soon, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson will be set to join that select group of players, but under different circumstances than most of them. The biggest contrast in any comparison is that the New Orleans Saints have Mark Ingram, who likely will receive more touches than Peterson barring a sudden shift in performance of the two backs.

Still, eight of the 10 the duos played together in at least a conference championship game. Time will tell if Brees and Peterson will reach that mark together, but Peterson's presence alone should have some impact on the Saints' prolific offense.

For the Saints' defensive coaches, having Peterson in the backfield next to Brees provides a new measuring stick for players in practice.

"I think our guys get excited because when they get a chance to go against two future Hall of Famers, they want to test their wills," Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn said. "They want to see where they're at, and any time you can play against guys like that, you always want to. They're the best of the best. Me as a coach, I love going against them all the time."

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For the Saints' offensive coaches, having Peterson could make it easier for Brees to find holes in a defense.

"I think teams obviously are going to be aware of him, and that may account for some opportunities that open up some play action or some downfield throws," offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said.

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For opposing defenses, though, it's possible there won't be many changes besides forcing coaches to spend more time game planning.

"You don't kind of bunch them together," longtime Patriots edge rusher Willie McGinest said of how defenses approach Hall of Fame backfield tandems. "You just plan for the run game, and then when you're going over third down and passing situations or passing formations then you got to account for Drew Brees as well."

McGinest's assessment might sound odd considering how Brees has been the focal point for years, but survey a group of NFL defensive players and nearly all of them will say stopping the run is the most important task each game, regardless of the caliber of quarterback.

It's not a slight to the quarterback, but rather an emphasis on the down and distance. Sure, teams aren't running the ball on first and second down as much these days as in the past, but the defense approaches each game as if stopping the run will force longer third downs, which can lead to more turnover-prone situations.

If defenses ever put an extra defender in the box to slow Peterson, it'll make it easier for Brees to find holes. If opponents focus on the pass, Peterson -- or Ingram -- should be able to find running lanes.

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"I'm pretty excited about that," Peterson said. "If they do stack the box, then maybe Drew Brees can throw for 6,000 or 7,000 yards. I'm excited to see how teams defend us."

Former Saints fullback Heath Evans, now an NFL Network analyst like McGinest, noted the offense will utilize a "pony" personnel with both Ingram and Peterson on the field at the same time, which will make it even harder for defenses to project which play is coming.

"It really creates a lot of what-if and what-are-they-thinking," Evans said.

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Nearly every time Brees has been asked a question about Peterson, the quarterback finds a way to mention Ingram. While the roles won't be defined until the season begins and could change thereafter, it's clear the team still views Ingram as the No. 1 back.

Still, just having another player with a Hall of Fame resume on the team is beneficial for the younger players.

"I think it sets the tone," Brees said of having Peterson around. "I think he has a presence. Guys look at that, they respect that. The guy's a future Hall of Famer. He's been one of the best backs in this league for a long time.

"Guys see his level of work ethic, and when guys see how he approaches practice especially, that garners a lot of attention and respect. That definitely elevates everyone around him."

There's also just a coolness factor for some of the young players when they look in the backfield and see two of the best players of this generation next to each other.

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"It's amazing," wide receiver Tommylee Lewis said. "I grew up watching those guys. In high school, I would always play with Adrian Peterson and Drew on a video game, so it's crazy. You got two G.O.A.T.s back there."

"I wouldn't say star-struck," rookie running back Alvin Kamara said, "but it's a little bit like, 'Woah, I'm back here with A.P. and Drew and guys like that and even (fullback) John Kuhn.' I remember playing with Kuhn on Madden, too. It's funny.

"It's a blessing to be a backfield with so much talent and knowledge, so I'm just trying to soak it all up."

Defensively, Jordan said going against Peterson each day helps, too, because he runs differently than the other backs on the team. Jordan also is glad to have a chance to benefit from Peterson's comeback attempt.

"Some people say he's back; I say he's here," Jordan said.

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In many way, the Brees and Peterson combination most similarly compares to Brett Favre and Peterson except with a role reversal for the running back, Peterson. In Minnesota, he was the established No. 1 option on offense when Favre arrived, and Favre was looking to prove his career wasn't over. Peterson comes to New Orleans where Brees has led the offense for 11 seasons, and despite Peterson being 32 and Brees being 38, there are more questions about Peterson's future because of injuries.

[quote]Still, the historical relevance alone is enough to wonder what Brees and Peterson can achieve together.

Glenn, during a 15-year career as a cornerback, played against a few of the Hall of Fame tandems, including Peyton Manning and Marshall Faulk, so he knows what it's like to prepare for a matchup against two future Hall of Famers.

"Just playing against guys of that nature, it really, really brings out a different mentality when you game plan because of how you've got to try to stop them," Glenn said. "And then, don't let them have another guy like (wide receiver) Marvin Harrison. It just makes the offense that much more prolific. It's always tough."

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Michael Thomas isn't to the point where a comparison to Harrison would be fair. Still, after one of the top rookie receiving seasons of all time, Thomas and the other offensive weapons will make it harder for teams to just focus on stopping the run or pass -- as if preparing for Brees and Peterson won't be hard enough.

"You've got to mentally know that those guys are going to make plays, and the thing is with them, you want to make more plays than they make," Glenn said. "That's just how they are. You're not just going to totally stop them, but you can try to contain them. Even when you contain them, you got a good chance of winning."

Coach Sean Payton said he doesn't see a mental advantage with the addition of Peterson is the backfield. But, the running back should give coaches more chances to be creative with the game plan.

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Now, everyone will just have to wait to see if Brees and Peterson can live up to the previous tandems of future Hall of Famers.

"We're fired up," Carmichael said, "real fired up."

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