Top 6 Stat-Stuffing Seasons in Vikings History
By Nick Fritz
Dec 1, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes for 21 yards against the Chicago Bears in overtime at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. Vikings win 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
#2: 2012 Adrian Peterson
If you had substituted Adrian Peterson with a run-of-the-mill running back in 2012, the Minnesota Vikings would have likely been one of the worst teams in the league. With Peterson carrying the offense, they won 10 games and earned a wild-card berth. After seeing the downfall of QB Christian Ponder, it’s clear how good Adrian had to be for this team to be relevant, if the stats aren’t telling enough. He carried the ball 348 times for 2097 yards, just 9 shy of Eric Dickerson‘s all-time record set in 1984. With how dominant Adrian was in 2012, it’s hard to imagine anyone will ever break the record. He also scored 12 touchdowns and averaged a whopping 6 yards per attempt.
The thing that separated Adrian was his separation. He made even the best tacklers look foolish and once he got a little bit of space, see ya later. He broke loose for huge gains of 61, 64, 74, 82 and 82 again.
It’s hard to imagine what a decent quarterback could have accomplished with 8-9 defenders in the box on almost every play.
"Game of the Year: Though he had about 5 worthy candidates, Adrian’s best came at the most crucial of times. Needing a win to earn a playoff birth, Adrian rushed for 199 yards on 34 carries. He scored 2 touchdowns, one of which was his only receiving TD of the year."
It wasn’t in 2012, but check out my favorite Adrian Peterson moment of all-time. He completely demoralizes Steeler’s cornerback William Gay in every way possible.
Next: #1: A Whole Lotta Touchdowns