The Minnesota Vikings ended their season on a fantastic note Sunday night by clinching their first NFC North division title since 2009, but Adrian Peterson is heading into the playoffs feeling “bittersweet.”
Why? Because despite leading the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards, the 30-year-old fell well short of the personal goals he set for himself. Peterson told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King early Monday morning that he felt “to be honest, bittersweet” about not rushing for 2,000 yards.
“Not once did I doubt, ever, that I would be able to get back to the same level,” Peterson said. “I came in this year thinking it was very possible to get 2,000 yards again, and I still think it is.”
Peterson will turn 31 in a little over two months. He feels that the year off he was forced to take after excessively disciplining his son resulted in him coming back fresher this season. While he wants to win playoff games, A.P. also has his sights set on passing Emmitt Smith as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Smith rushed for 18,355 yards in his career. Peterson’s 11,675 yards are 6,681 yards short.
King reminded A.P. that he will need to produce at a high level into his mid-30s to catch Smith.
“So I’ll have to work overtime,” he said. “I still think I can do it.”
For now, nearly 1,500 yards and well over 300 carries will have to do. But it won’t mean anything to the people of Minnesota if the Vikings make a mistake like the one that cost them a game a few weeks back. Peterson’s personal goals should be set aside immediately if not sooner.
