Every time Vikings running back Adrian Peterson drops a ball, one of the names most prominently uttered (after the Lord’s name is taken in vain a few times) is that of Tiki Barber.
Barber, a former star tailback with the Giants, overcame a fumbling problem with the help of coach Tom Coughlin. Barber changed his method of holding the ball, and the problem was solved.
In a Monday radio spot with Mike Francesca of WFAN (via SportsRadioInterviews.com), Tiki talked about the fumbling problems with which Peterson is now struggling.
“You know what, he’s becoming a liability for that team,” Barber said. “You look at that conference championship game. It’s all mechanics Mike. It’s the same thing I had to learn. You do something one way for so long, you get away with it and you don’t think it’s a problem. Once you get in the National Football League — safeties, linebackers, defensive linemen — they’re all taught to strip.
“If you have any kind of looseness in that football, it’s going to come out. For me, it was just keeping it next to my body at all times, no matter what it takes. Whether it’s down here close to your body, up at your chest close to your body, you have to keep it on your body so it can’t get knocked away. And then when you go in to contact, cover it with your other hand. It was simple. Most things that cause success are simple.
“I think with Adrian Peterson, he needs somebody with authority — with a strong voice — to tell him, ‘Look, as great as a player as you are, you’re a liability.’ And that’s what Tom Coughlin did with me. He said ‘Tiki, I love the way you play the game of football, but you fumble and you’re a liability.’ It hits your pride in a way that makes you want to correct it, and I don’t think anybody’s ever done that for Adrian Peterson yet.”
He’s right — the Vikings and their fans tiptoe around Peterson. Until they put the tip of that toe somewhere else, Peterson will continue to fumble.
And it’s only going to get harder for Peterson. Teams are trying even harder to knock the ball out of Peterson’s hands, given that he hasn’t been able to protect it in the past.
And who would know better one year after Tiki we win it all
Wonder how it feels to be 12 months shy of a ring ?
At one time Tiki could have been the Gov or NY or NJ but he had to start running his mouth now he is no one
Brandon has a Ring Bradshaw has a ring Tiki is working for Yahoo Sports
Way to go Tiki
Another excellent example of why Tiki was shipped out of the studio and on to the field as a field reporter, and why he bombed in daytime talk. He’s a blowhard.
These guys will both have the same amount of Super Bowl rings when all is said and done.
“I think with Adrian Peterson, he needs somebody with authority — with a strong voice — to tell him, ”
Brett Favre is the only person on that team with that kind of authority, and that’s including the coaches.
Have to give props to Mike Florio for calling this during the season. He was definitely a liability along with 4 in the New Orleans game. I called the train wreck that was 4. Florio called the train wreck that was 28. And yet they still were at the 32 in a tie game with 19 seconds left. If ( ithink they will in my opinion) New Orleans beats Indy this Sunday in the NFL title game it will be their first NFL Championship. A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
Maybe they should hire Tiki to school him. He needs someone to get the message to him in a way that he will understand and accept.
Thanks Tiki for that “expert” analysis. Just think he gets paid to say what all of us could have called in and said for free.
Is this horse dead yet?
By the way, Mike.. Your editor called. He said, “Hire me now!!”
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Unlike they put the tip of that toe somewhere else, Peterson will continue to fumble.
Wow, Tiki, you DO remember who taught you how to hold on to the ball? Maybe you shouldn’t have been such a dick to him and the rest of the team when you retired.
“Unlike they put the tip of that toe somewhere else, Peterson will continue to fumble.”
That sentence does not make sense.
If you replace ‘Unlike” with “Until”, I’m guessing
it would then make sense.
Indubitably (thanks, tiki!).
Tiki’s right, but I haven’t heard many MN fans tiptoeing around the issue — fans are pretty sick of it and aren’t being too quiet.
How do you guys know the Vikings tip toe around this? His running back coach looks like a tough guy. The Vikings need Peterson.
Just have Favre tell him that he will no longer receive any of his playful butt slaps if he continues to fumble the ball. That is the main reason the Viking players want Favre to return in the first place.
Tiki is the best guy to speak up in this situation. He was a hated man here in NY, but once he stopped fumbling the man turned into a god. You can’t name 5 better RB’s in the league during his last 3 years. If AP can cure his fumbling problem, him and Chris Johnson are gonna be the top 2 for a long time.
But, as a Bears fan, I hope he doesn’t fix it!!
Tiki, give Peterson a call. I’ll donate $5
Tom Coughlin cured Tiki’s problem, so he can probably cure AD as well. Trade him to the Giants for David Carr and a bag of chips.
2 words. wrangler. jeans.
TheHydraPart6 says:
February 2, 2010 2:37 PM
Have to give props to Mike Florio for calling this during the season. He was definitely a liability along with 4 in the New Orleans game. I called the train wreck that was 4. Florio called the train wreck that was 28. And yet they still were at the 32 in a tie game with 19 seconds left. If ( ithink they will in my opinion) New Orleans beats Indy this Sunday in the NFL title game it will be their first NFL Championship. A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
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Congrats Super, you called the train wreck 18 weeks in a row and you finally hit it.
1500 yards and 18 tds aure is a liability also.
He will get his problem of fumbling fixed.
Why do you kiss Florio’s ass so much?
Sure as shit sticks to a blanket, you are not over the whole Favre issue.
Still qualifying your predictions I see, here to tell you, an opinion is a prediction, so, you can’t hide behind them when you are wrong.
Absolute turd of a post.
Ambrose says:
February 2, 2010 3:01 PM
Just have Favre tell him that he will no longer receive any of his playful butt slaps if he continues to fumble the ball. That is the main reason the Viking players want Favre to return in the first place
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Aww, Jealous, nobody would buttslap you because you want the middle finger flexed forward while you spread your cheeks?
You never add anything to the thread. it’s always some lame putdown 30 other people said before your puny mind thought of it,
You are in the top 10 of most worthless posters on this site. Give it up.
Bigbluefan says:
February 2, 2010 2:26 PM
And who would know better one year after Tiki we win it all
Wonder how it feels to be 12 months shy of a ring ?
At one time Tiki could have been the Gov or NY or NJ but he had to start running his mouth now he is no one
Brandon has a Ring Bradshaw has a ring Tiki is working for Yahoo Sports
Way to go Tiki
___________________________________
if tiki is a fan of the giants then he is in the same boat as you. except he is a millionaire, played in the nfl and probably has lived the life you wish you could. just in case you were really wondering what it must feel like to be 12 months shy of a ring.
“…ball on the ground, ball on the ground. Lookin’ like a fool with the ball on the ground…”
This may be a more suitable post-game tune for the Vikes.
TheHydraPart6 says:
February 2, 2010 2:37 PM
A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
—————————
Please don’t ever use the numbers 4 and 28 in the same sentence ever again.
No, wait. That was 4 and 26. Nevermind. Carry on.
Screw it. Make sure you hold onto Chester Taylor and as soon as the problem arises again, start playing Taylor on 2nd and 1st downs, not just third, and he should get the hint.
Funny that whenever Minnesota needs to be careful, or when it’s an important down where they can’t afford a fumble, Chester Taylor is in the game and Peterson is on the bench. Seemed to happen more and more as the season went on. Better sign that contract for Taylor. On most teams in the NFL he’d be a starter, and he knows it. In my opinion, he should always be on the field. Gives another weapon.
Without Taylor, Peterson does not have the ability to be an every down back unless he changes his running style, and I don’t see that happening. Fun to watch, a heck of a player, but his style takes a toll. hat’s why Chester Taylor is so important.
@ TheHydraPart6 says:
Peterson fumbled away homefield advantage versus the Bears long before he fumbled away the NFC Championship game.
Sure Favre threw the one interception at the end of the game, and the refs threw the second earlier on with the blown call, but the award to blowing the season sits firmly on Peterson shoulders… not Favre’s.
Eric Beienemy still drawing employment with the Vikings organization shows a lackluster attitude by Childress towards improving this team during the offseason. But really what do you expect from a headcoach who doesn’t know it’s an 11 man game?
jeffragnarwhatever…
Aren’t you the guy that has to keep changing his name just to be allowed on this site? And you want to give me advice? No thanks. It is so easy to get under the skin of a frustrated and bitter fan of the Vikings, that I can’t even enjoy it that much anymore…too easy. Can’t say I didn’t warn you about Favre, can you? He may have played with the mind of somebody else for the regular season, but he became himself again, just in time. The two wins over the Packers (good for you!) were worht the price of admission to see Favre screw up in such a predictable manner. It’s all good. ESAD during the off-season, OK?
Congrats Super, you called the train wreck 18 weeks in a row and you finally hit it.
——-
untrue. I said I know how it will end. That is it. I did not predict Favre to shit the bed every week. Only when it really mattered.
“Hyrda” you are such a joke.
“4″ and “28″ were a “Train Wreck”? Too funny. Nothing like using hyberbole to an exterme level making what you say become a total bunch of BS.
Here’s what you’re missing while breaking your arm patting yourself on the back…
It’s a two edged sword. This team would not have come ANYWHERE CLOSE SO EVEN SNIFFING the NFC championship game without “4″ and “28″. Neither were “Train wrecks” as you so stupidly put it. One of them rushed for 18 TDs and made it so “4″ could pick apart defenses putting 8 men on the line to stop “28″.
So, enough of the “Brett Favre” blew it, or “28″ was a liability. Yes, of course we would have hoped Peterson wouldn’t fumble in the game, or Favre not throw that final INT. But without either of them, this was a team that EASILY would have lost 4 of the games they won, and would not have even MADE THE PLAYOFFS.
Water under the bridge. Next Season.
SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!
TheHydraPart6 says:
February 2, 2010 2:37 PM
Have to give props to Mike Florio for calling this during the season. He was definitely a liability along with 4 in the New Orleans game. I called the train wreck that was 4. Florio called the train wreck that was 28. And yet they still were at the 32 in a tie game with 19 seconds left. If ( ithink they will in my opinion) New Orleans beats Indy this Sunday in the NFL title game it will be their first NFL Championship. A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
Tiki may not have a ring but he played for one, makes tons of money and is bangin a nice asian
koochie. I don’t even like Tiki, but he has it ALL.
Human Howitzer says: “Tom Coughlin cured Tiki’s problem, so he can probably cure AD as well. Trade him to the Giants for David Carr and a bag of chips.”
If only that was a real offer. The Giants would win the next three Super Bowls if they had Peterson. You guys can’t be that stupid to want him gone. All Coughlin did was one of the oldest drills in the books. He made Tiki carry the ball everywhere in camp, all day long, and told his teammates whenever they saw Tiki to try to strip the ball. So, a problem that can solved in a few weeks of training camp, is worth giving up one of the most dynamic backs in the NFL for? It’s not a hard problem to fix if your coach had the testicles to confront his RB. But I guess he gave those to Brett when he picked him up at the airport.
# jeffragnarchicken says: February 2, 2010 3:18 PM
Ambrose says:
February 2, 2010 3:01 PM
Just have Favre tell him that he will no longer receive any of his playful butt slaps if he continues to fumble the ball. That is the main reason the Viking players want Favre to return in the first place
==================================
Aww, Jealous, nobody would buttslap you because you want the middle finger flexed forward while you spread your cheeks?
You never add anything to the thread. it’s always some lame putdown 30 other people said before your puny mind thought of it,
You are in the top 10 of most worthless posters on this site. Give it up.
==================================
Where does that rank Pervy then?
Peterson should have been the “go to” feature of the Vikings against New Orleans, which was the team gameplan since the beginning of the season. He fumbled because he was unfocused and no longer in a gameday groove, after being demoted to “second act.” The Vikings got lulled into a false sense of security the way Favre kept winning and winning, until Childress finally said “he got us here, we’ll go with him.” Big mistake (obviously.) The Vikings and their fans should hope that Favre hangs it up once and for all. He will only disappoint you (again) if he doesn’t. “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” Peterson is there for the long haul…and he wants to be the “main event” again. He’ll fix the fumbling. Good backs do.
Hydra, you’re a moron if you think Favre was a trainwreck in that game. He threw for over 300 yards and played a great game. All the experts agreed. The first pick should have been called back (per the NFL) and the 2nd pick was the result of Favre not reading the defense’s audible to cover 2 out of man.
Least the mans got a strong handshake!!
Ahhhhh the Viking Faithful.
A.D. is a humble guy and he will address it in the off season. He is no prima donna, so he realizes that the fumbles are a liability and will do what ever it takes to improve his game for himself and his team.
Sorry Ambrose,
But have to disagree with you there buddy. I’m not a Favre apologist, but the fact is he played at a very high level this year, and performed WAY above what ANYONE could have dreamed or hoped.
Peterson fumbling had NOTHING to do with being “unfocused” on the game. He has had the issue with the way he carries the ball away from his body his entire NFL career. So unless he has been “unfocused” for 3 years, that’s a very illogical statement. And a guy running for 1200 yards, catching it for a few hundred more and scoring 18 Tds is not a “2nd act” my friend. That’s just silly by you to even say it.
This O-line did not run-block very well this year, and defensive game plans of opponents focused on stopping Peterson above all else. Therefor the SMARTEST thing any coach could have done was get a TRUE Franchise QB who could take advantage of that – which they did.. and Favre Did.
Enough of your ever-so-subtle “It is all Favre’s fault” balogna. He had one of the best statistical (and successful) seasons of any QB in the league this year and put the Vikings on the freaking BRINK of the superbowl. Without him, they would not have made the playoffs.
I’ll take Favre EVERY year with that kind of performance and be in this spot, playing for Superbowl within the final 32 seconds of the season.
What sane fan would not? To say Favre “disappointed” me or any Vikings fan is to essentially pretend that they were not even playing in that game.
Lame, Lame argument and Post.
Now, if you want to say that Tarvaris Jackson will “disappoint” you, or Gus Ferotte, or Brad Johnson, or Brooks Bollinger, or any OTHER QB in the Peterson era, THEN I will agree with you.
It’s nice to see Tiki has a great grasp for the obvious!!!
slipkid says:
February 2, 2010 2:57 PM
Indubitably (thanks, tiki!).
_____________________
And to continue….
AP got debacled by Tiki (thanks, Emmitt).
A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
—————-
Actually, it was #12′s fumble and the subsequent Saint’s TD that resulted from it that cost the Queens a trip to Miami. Without it, Favre would have been running the clock out and not throwing picks trying to get into field goal range.
Tiki’s a blowhard but he’s an obviously correct blowhard. The real question is after three years, why hasn’t he adjusted the way he carries the ball? Peterson’s not an idiot. Why are the coaches not hammering the point into his head? Or are they hammering and maybe he’s just not responding?
@TheHydraPart6, if you called the train wreck that was 4 then you don’t much about the game of football. He excelled all season and even in the NFC Championship game he played extremely well. Take into consideration the beating he took by the NO-D. Despite all the turnovers he still kept the Vikings in the game. Was the last pass a big mistake? Obviously. But he and the Vikes should have never been in that position. It was a mistake by a QB that had been chased and beaten all day, saw his RB lose a botched handoff on the 3 yard line, saw his WR fumble a ball on their own 10 yard line for an easy Saints score, and just had his coach push them out of FG range by putting 12 men in the huddle. Look at the stats and if it isn’t for the turnovers the Vikes are up by at least 14 points. That was mainly because of Favre. Train wreck? Hardly. So quit patting yourself on the back and just watch the game. You’ve proven you do not have the knowledge to effectively commentate on it.
if so, then correct – bench him for taylor.
We are all clearly not impressed with AP’s handiworks (again, thanks, Tiki!).
“I’ll take Favre EVERY year with that kind of performance and be in this spot, playing for Superbowl within the final 32 seconds of the season.
What sane fan would not?”
Gotta tell you man, I wouldn’t. Not if it comes with a bonehead play to bring it all tumbling down in those last 32 seconds. I’d rather take my chances with an unknown over a guy that I *know* will make a stupid decision and give the game away in the end. Bert’s last pass as a Packer was an interception in overtime in a playoff game. His last pass as a Jet was an interception with less than 5 minutes left in a game that could have put them in the playoffs. His last pass as a Viking was an interception with 32 seconds left in a playoff game.
.VoxVeritas says:
February 2, 2010 5:51 PM
Gotta tell you man, I wouldn’t. Not if it comes with a bonehead play to bring it all tumbling down in those last 32 seconds. I’d rather take my chances with an unknown over a guy that I *know* will make a stupid decision and give the game away in the end. Bert’s last pass as a Packer was an interception in overtime in a playoff game. His last pass as a Jet was an interception with less than 5 minutes left in a game that could have put them in the playoffs. His last pass as a Viking was an interception with 32 seconds left in a playoff game.
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Wrong on one count.. Favre’s last pass as a Jet was an illegal forward pass. His second to last pass as a Jet was an INT.
Oh, and I think his last pass as a Falcon was an INT as well.
We need to get stats,inc to look at this. How many guys who played for four teams threw interceptions on their last (legal) pass with each team? That’s got to be another record he holds.
east96street says:
February 2, 2010 4:03 PM
Human Howitzer says: “Tom Coughlin cured Tiki’s problem, so he can probably cure AD as well. Trade him to the Giants for David Carr and a bag of chips.”
If only that was a real offer. The Giants would win the next three Super Bowls if they had Peterson. You guys can’t be that stupid to want him gone. All Coughlin did was one of the oldest drills in the books. He made Tiki carry the ball everywhere in camp, all day long, and told his teammates whenever they saw Tiki to try to strip the ball. So, a problem that can solved in a few weeks of training camp, is worth giving up one of the most dynamic backs in the NFL for? It’s not a hard problem to fix if your coach had the testicles to confront his RB. But I guess he gave those to Brett when he picked him up at the airport.
_________________________________
Relax, east96… I’m a Giants fan. My screen name was the nickname of a guy named Al Blozis… check him out on Wikipedia. Interesting story.
CsanBoySmith says: Where does that rank Pervy then?
————————————————–Dude, Florio sends me Christmas cards…..need I say more??
pervy, truly repugnant (thanks, Tiki!)…
rickyd says:
February 2, 2010 5:46 PM
@TheHydraPart6, if you called the train wreck that was 4 then you don’t much about the game of football. He excelled all season and even in the NFC Championship game he played extremely well. Take into consideration the beating he took by the NO-D. Despite all the turnovers he still kept the Vikings in the game. Was the last pass a big mistake? Obviously. But he and the Vikes should have never been in that position. It was a mistake by a QB that had been chased and beaten all day, saw his RB lose a botched handoff on the 3 yard line, saw his WR fumble a ball on their own 10 yard line for an easy Saints score, and just had his coach push them out of FG range by putting 12 men in the huddle. Look at the stats and if it isn’t for the turnovers the Vikes are up by at least 14 points. That was mainly because of Favre. Train wreck? Hardly. So quit patting yourself on the back and just watch the game. You’ve proven you do not have the knowledge to effectively commentate on it.
———–
All I said is I knew how it was going to end. That’s all. I was rooting for them on the 32 with 19 seconds left. I didn’t think they had enough time to Favre it up….
# Occam says: February 2, 2010 2:30 PM
“I think with Adrian Peterson, he needs somebody with authority — with a strong voice — to tell him, ”
Brett Favre is the only person on that team with that kind of authority, and that’s including the coaches.
Yeah, well who is going to tell Brett Favre HE is a liability with all of HIS fumbles and interceptions at key times? In the end it was Favre who lost the game.
Pervy Harvin says:
February 2, 2010 7:52 PM
CsanBoySmith says: Where does that rank Pervy then?
————————————————–”Dude, Florio sends me Christmas cards…..need I say more??”
It’s February you stupid bastard. Florio hates you too.
Pervy Harvin says:
February 2, 2010 7:52 PM
Dude, Florio sends me Christmas cards…..need I say more??
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If Florio sends you Christmas cards it’s solely because your idiotic rambling have a multiplier effect on the number of posts on his site.
If you can’t tear apart a Pervy post, you don’t belong here.
Adam-Chris Scheftersen says:
February 2, 2010 3:34 PM
TheHydraPart6 says:
February 2, 2010 2:37 PM
A championship that probably should be Minesota’s if it weren’t for 4 and 28.
—————————
Please don’t ever use the numbers 4 and 28 in the same sentence ever again.
No, wait. That was 4 and 26. Nevermind. Carry on.
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LOL!! Too funny!
However, I can relate to the pain all too well with similiar incidents in Viking history. Ah, the years these teams take off our lives.
Without Peterson and Favre the Vikings would have been lucky to win 9 games this past season. Same with the Saints, without Brees and Pierre Thomas, they would have been a .500 team at best.
As much as “Pants on the Ground – Ball to the Other Team” and “All Day – fumbling…..” have their problems, they are both very dynamic and overall positive players for their team. Unfortunately, they both have a tendency to “Favre” it up from time to time.
And enough on the Saints win being the result of bad refs and blown calls, there were just as many (1 or 2) bad calls against the Saints as the Vikings and one of those was a roughing the passer call that would have been another Favre interception……..
Saints won the game because of FORCED turnovers and special teams………scoring more points also helped!
Someone in charge should sit him down and have a stern talk with him…Mr Wilf…Mr. Childress…oh sh1t!..sorry….Brent, the floor is yours!
SF Saints Fan says:
February 3, 2010 9:04 AM
Without Peterson and Favre the Vikings would have been lucky to win 9 games this past season. Same with the Saints, without Brees and Pierre Thomas, they would have been a .500 team at best.
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Yes, without Favre and Peterson they wouldn’t have been in that game. I agree with that.
Does that mean those two players are above reproach for their mistakes?
“Well, Favre shouldn’t have thrown 6 INTs in that playoff game, but they wouldn’t have gotten to the game without him, so I don’t hold it against him.”
No, no, no. It’s possible to be the most valuable member of your team and still be the biggest reason why they failed in the end. No one has tried to argue that the Vikings would be in the NFC championship game without Favre and Peterson. But that doesn’t absolve them of their sins.
And I understand the portion I quoted above isn’t your main point. It’s just that the “they wouldn’t have been there without him” argument has bugged me from the start.