Adrian Peterson could break the NFL single-season rushing record on Sunday night, but the Vikings running-back says the personal glory will mean little if his team misses out on a playoff berth.
Peterson is required to rush for 208 yards against the Green Bay Packers if he is to break Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards. 102 yards would mean he passes 2,000 yards, a total set by only six other men in the NFL.
However, Peterson told USA Today the achievement would be “hollow” if a spot in the playoffs is not secured:
“It would feel hollow. That record would be for nothing. We’re not in the hunt; we’re getting ready to make offseason plans. That’s not what this game is about. God willing I’ll have more opportunities to break records.”
A win for Minnesota on Sunday would mean the team grabs an NFC wild-card berth. While not desirable, a loss may still see the Vikings reach the playoffs – so long as the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears all lose. Adrian Peterson feels the rushing record and a playoff spot are both obtainable:
“I know that if I go out and do my job and am productive, I’ll give myself opportunities to break that record in the process of winning the game as well.”
Eric Dickerson, the man whose 28-year record could fall on Sunday, has revealed to NFL Total Access that he’d rather Peterson didn’t break his record:
“I do not want him to break my record. I’m not going to tell that lie, but he’s such a great player, and I’ll say it, if a record that is meant to go down to one guy, it’d have to be him. Everybody wants to keep their records until they die, maybe their son comes along and breaks the record, something like that, but I just want to hold on to it.
“Like I say, great player, deserving of a record like that, deserves to be in the 2,000-yards club, that type of player, but, you know, I want to hang on to my record.”
Do you think Adrian Peterson can break the NFL rushing record and help the Vikings secure a playoff berth?
