Injuries have ravished the Washington Redskins' offensive line, but Adrian Peterson isn't allowing the team's latest plague of ailments sour his expectations for Sunday.
"You just got to stay positive and keep pressing, it's not the end of the world, it's not the end of the season for us, guys will step up, we all have to perform better and that's the mindset that I have," Peterson said, per the Redskins' official website. "It's not like last week, 'Oh I'm not going to perform at a different level,' but it's just something different when you lose three starters, how your mindset kind of shifts. I just got to do more than I was doing before."
Left guard Shawn Lauvao (ACL) and right guard Brandon Scherff (torn pectoral muscle) were lost for the season during the Redskins' 38-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Washington will be without offensive tackle Trent Williams, who's dealing with a dislocated thumb.
The Redskins signed free-agent linemen Luke Bowanko, Jonathan Cooper and Austin Howard to bolster their O-line depth.
While Peterson jokingly said he had to lean on his "friend" Maker's Mark to cope with Lauvao and Scherff's injuries, he's looking forward to giving the new guys on the line plenty of feedback.
"I'll be able to say little things that I might see, that I might notice, that I would like them to do differently or that might work better," Peterson said. "Right now just getting to know those guys, talking to them, but most importantly just going out playing hard fast is what we really need right now early."
Redskins coach Jay Gruden also is striking an optimistic tone ahead of Sunday's game against a Buccaneers team that ranks 29th in total defense and 15th against the rush. With Peterson sitting fifth in league rushing at 604 yards, Gruden doesn't see a need for Peterson to change up what works for him.
"He just goes through his reads like he normally would," Gruden said. "It doesn't matter who's blocking for him -- at guard, center, tackle, tight end, fullback -- if we had one -- or receiver. He's just going to go through his progressions and make his cuts and do what he does. It doesn't matter."
