Adrian Peterson and Other Stars Returning from Injury: Forecasting 2012 Stats

It is never easy returning from a devastating injury, but many times, true NFL superstars bounce back in a big way after spending most or all of the previous season on the sideline. 

Tom Brady recovered from a nasty knee injury throughout the 2008 campaign and threw for nearly 4,440 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2009. 

Let's examine some of the biggest names who went down in 2011 and how they'll fare in 2012. 

Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings

Peterson went down with a gruesome tear of the ACL and MCL during a Christmas Eve game against the Washington Redskins. 

At the time, he had carried the ball 208 times for 970 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. 

Being the physical freak that he is, Peterson is reportedly recovering well, even beating teammates in a foot race in late April (via ESPNTwinCities).

Barring any unforeseen setback, he'll be ready for Week 1. 

The Vikings added Arkansas receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs in the middle of the 2012 draft to help Christian Ponder's development, but they'll obviously be a run-first team this season. 

While I don't expect him to get the 363 carries he received in 2008 or even the 313 he had in 2009, he should finish the year somewhere between 250 and 300. 

Using 275 carries and his career yards per rush average of 4.8, Peterson rushes for 1,320 yards in 2012. He's always had double-digit rushing touchdowns, so 11 touchdowns seems about right. 

Another solid year for the game's most physically impressive runner. 

Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans 

Britt suffered a knee ligament tear of his own in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. The Nashville Tennessean is reporting that Britt has resumed running, but isn't allowed to make cuts yet.

The Titans do expect him to be ready for the season opener. 

It's especially hard to project Britt's 2012 stats because of the uncertainty at quarterback. Will Matt Hasselbeck be the starter for the entire season, or will Jake Locker, who adds more of a downfield aspect to the offense, be calling the shots at some point? 

Either way, Britt's never had more than 42 catches in career, but he's typically made the most of all his grabs. 

In 2009, he averaged 16.7 yards per catch. 

In a breakout 2010, he averaged 18.5 yards per grab and caught nine touchdowns. 

He turns 24 in September, so he has plenty of great football in front of him. 

The presence of first-round pick Kendall Wright won't eradicate Britt's importance to the offense or drastically limit his targets. In fact, it'll allow him to make more plays on the outside with opposing secondaries paying attention to the speedy Wright in the middle of the field. 

Chris Johnson will still be the focal point of the offense, but Britt will have another fine season. How does 50 grabs for 875 yards and eight touchdowns sound?

That's going off a small hike in his average reception total and his career yards per catch. 

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs 

Charles' ACL tear was one of three crushing season-ending injuries that ultimately doomed the Chiefs 2011 season. 

He had surgery on October 8, and in a report from KCChiefs.com, Charles estimates he's 80 percent recovered.

He'll be ready to go in September.

In 2010, Charles was the most explosive running back in the NFL, averaging a ridiculous 6.4 yards per carry. 

Kansas City has one of the better run-blocking offensive lines in the league, and they added stud right tackle Eric Winston in free agency. 

With Matt Cassel still the biggest liability on the offensive side of the ball, Charles will return as the dynamic player he was two years ago. 

He'll split carries with Peyton Hillis, but he's most effective when he stays below 250 carries anyway. 

If Charles carries the ball 220 times in 2012, at his career 6.1 yards per carry average, he'll total 1,342 rushing yards. 

Six touchdowns is right between the seven he had in 2009 and the five he had in 2010. 

Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo Bills

Williams had five sacks and one forced fumble through five games in 2011 before a torn pectoral muscle cut his season short. 

He tweeted the following about his current physical status:

"I've reached 300lbs but yet I'm faster and look better than ever physically as well as strength coming off a pec injury."

This year in Buffalo, he returns to his more natural 4-3 defensive end position, a spot that doesn't ask him to drop into coverage, and he'll be a part of a line that features Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. 

During his career, Williams has averaged .64 sacks per game. 

Saying he'll play 14 games next season, while adding the 4-3 influence and the presence of Dareus and Williams, 11 sacks seems like a conservative number. 

As a defensive end, he should have more tackles than usual, so 55 takedowns is logical. 

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos

Manning's been out of football for an entire year, but if he's healthy, there's really no reason to doubt him. Like any of these guys, his injury could flare up again, but for the sake of this article, let's say he stays on the field for the majority of the 2012 season. 

Manning's pieced together incredible years with an assortment of receiving corps throughout his career, and although the group in Denver isn't loaded with superstars, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are certainly capable of having great seasons. 

The legendary quarterback averages just over 4,200 passing yards per season with 30.6 touchdowns and 15.2 interceptions. 

Facing the current AFC West secondaries is comparable to the AFC South defensive backfields he went against during his time in Indianapolis. 

Going by his career averages and adding in the advancement in passing offenses in today's NFL, a 2012 stat line of 4,300 yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions is spot-on for Manning. 

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders

McFadden was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2011 before falling victim to a nagging foot injury on October 23 against the Chiefs. 

The Raiders' official Twitter account sent out a tweet indicating that McFadden was a full participant in the team's voluntary workouts in April. 

Oakland lost mauling guard Robert Gallery during the free-agency period, but 2012 third-round pick Tony Bergstrom will add quality depth to the Raiders offensive front. 

Carson Palmer faltered down the stretch in 2011, and head coach Dennis Allen told the San Jose Mercury News that he expects McFadden to be a workhorse back this season. 

He's battled injuries throughout his career, and has never played in more 13 games in any individual season. 

Let's say McFadden is healthy for 13 games in 2012. 

If he carries the ball 230 times, (seven more carries than his career high in 2010), he'll total 1,104 yards on the ground. 

I'll go with five rushing touchdowns and 30 catches for 500 yards, as well. Those are all reasonable based on his career receiving averages. 

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