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Adrian Peterson gave it a go, but he fell just short of one of the National Football League's most hallowed records.
One year to the day that he had surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, the Minnesota Vikings' running back came just nine yards short of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. He finished with 2,097. . .but I'm guessing he doesn't care because the Minnesota Vikings are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
The following is a list of all of the running backs in NFL history that have amassed 2,000 or more yards in a season.
| Player | Team | Year | Yardage |
| Eric Dickerson | Rams | 1984 | 2,105 |
| Adrian Peterson | Vikings | 2012 | 2,097 |
| Jamal Lewis | Ravens | 2003 | 2,066 |
| Barry Sanders | Lions | 1997 | 2,053 |
| Terrell Davis | Broncos | 1998 | 2,008 |
| Chris Johnson | Titans | 2009 | 2,006 |
| O.J. Simpson | Bills | 1973 | 2,003* |
* - 14-game season
Congratulations to Adrian Peterson on this achievement, even though he didn't quite get to his goal.