2,000

Six NFL running backs have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season.

O.J. Simpson
Eric Dickerson
Barry Sanders
Terrell Davis
Jamal Lewis
Chris Johnson

Simpson's 2003 yards in 1973 was the most impressive. It had never been done before and he did it in 14 games. The remaining five were accomplished in 16-game seasons. Dickerson's 2,105 yards in 1984 is the NFL record. There was a time not long ago when 1,000 rushing yards in a season was a defining milestone. Even in today's passing league, 1,000 yards doesn't mean much anymore. You only have to average 62.5 yards/game to hit the mark. A modest total at best. 1,500 yards is a more significant target. The backs that dare to be truly great look past that number. 2,000 yards is what they see. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been staring at 2,000 yards since he entered the league in 2007. The closest that he came before this season was his 1,760 yards in 2008. Coming off a severe knee injury last December many didn't think that Peterson would even approach 1,000 yards this season. After 14 games, he's at 1812 yards. He has over 400 yards more than the next back, Marshawn Lynch. In the last 8 games Peterson has gained 1,313 yards. He's averaging 164 yards/game during that time. At his current pace, he'll finish with 2,140 yards. The way that he's running he could end up with much more.

While I had little doubt that Adrian Peterson would come back from his injury sooner and better than anyone expected. I never expected him to come back running better than even his previously high standard. This is the best that I've ever seen him run and I saw him put up 296 yards in a single game against the San Diego Chargers in 2007. If he can top that total against the Houston Texans this Sunday, the single game and season record will be his. Peterson came into the league looking to grab every rushing record in the books. Some of the most treasured are coming into focus. It starts at 2,000.