Adrian Peterson's Fumbles: Lessons Need to be Learned from Tiki Barber

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is now the modern day version of what former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber was...a fumbling machine.

Peterson is by far one of the most explosive and exciting NFL players to watch in the entire league, but how can he really have this title when he puts the ball on the ground more than any other player in the league?

During Sunday's NFC Championship game, announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman commented several times that his overall play is worth dealing with his fumbling problems, but to what cost?

Look at the picture above and the way he is holding the ball...definitely not the way to maintain possession of the ball.

From 2000 to the 2003 season, Giants running back, Tiki Barber had similar problems with fumbles; he totaled 35 fumbles in those four seasons. He then took the offseason before the start of the 2004 year to really focus on that issue and in his final three seasons he saw his best years of his career.

Barber only fumbled the ball nine times in those three years and he also made the Pro Bowl each of those seasons. He never rushed for less than 1,500 yards and never averaged lower than 4.7 yards per carry.

In Peterson's first three seasons in the league, he has 20 fumbles and really needs to go and pay Barber a visit so he can resolve his fumbling problem.

Barber attributes his recovery from fumbling the ball to increased strength training in the upper body and showing more patience while running the ball along with a very distinct, visual way of carrying the ball high and tight into his armpit so defenders would not be able to punch the ball out from behind.

Peterson needs to adapt all of these into his offseason program because, even though he is worth dealing with all the loose balls, the Vikings will most likely keep free agent running back Chester Taylor around for a few more years until Peterson can fix this problem.