Adrian Peterson just misses Eric Dickerson’s rushing record in Minnesota Vikings win

With running backs by committee multiplying and passing the way of the future, Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record might not have a pursuer like Adrian Peterson again for a while. The Minnesota Vikings‘ superstar running back fell less than 10 yards short of the Los Angeles Rams great’s stubborn record as the Vikings kicked a time-expiring field goal against the Green Bay Packers for a 37-34 win Sunday. He’ll be going to the playoffs, but Peterson will be going there with the second-most yards ever in a single season.

I’m sure he’ll be able to handle that.

Peterson crossed 160 yards in the Vikings’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive, but the Green Bay Packers held him down repeatedly on the next drive, and with time running out there just weren’t quite enough yards left; his 26-yard rush deep into field goal territory left him just nine yards short of the record, stuck at 34 carries for 199 yards.

Dickerson’s 379-carry workload back in 1984 is what will make the record so difficult to match in the future. Peterson, second in the NFL in attempts this year, finished with 348, a full game’s-worth fewer. That doesn’t make Dickerson’s record any less impressive, but it does make it more difficult to chase down now that we know what 370-carry seasons do to a running back’s legs.