The Real Deal

I haven’t become of a fan of Viking coach Brad Childress, but he certainly knew what he was doing when he drafted running back Adrian (All Day) Peterson after his junior year at Oklahoma.

Peterson had a hell of a day today, rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns. Peterson's season total of 1,036 yards represents the best eight-game performance by a rookie in NFL history and is tied for fifth-best among all players. A little simple math will tell you that Peterson could be on the way to a 2,000 yard season.

In just eight career games – not even starts, since he’s been working in relief of (former) starter Chester Taylor – Peterson has the two best rushing games in Vikings history (296 Sunday and 224 against the Bears), the most rushing touchdowns and rushing yards for a Vikings rookie in a season and the most runs of 50 yards or more in a season, rookie or not.

In perspective, Peterson’s day was better than Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, or O.J. Simpson ever had. (Though O.J.’s not recently been having good days at all, has he?)

What’s wrong with Denver? Actually, what’s wrong with the AFC West? San Diego is 4-4 now, as is Kansas City. Denver’s 3-5, and Oakland, is well, Oakland. Actually, what happened - today, anyway - to last year’s “toughest division” is the NFC North, where a resurgent Detroit (is “surgent” a word? There’s no “re” applicable to the Motor City Kitties) is 6-2 and headed for that ten-win season that Kittie’s QB Jon Kitna predicted - to widespread derision. The Old Man at Green Bay has the Packers flying – to the league’s second best record. Even the Vikings looked pretty good today (we’ll have to hope that QB training Jackson stays hurt this time). The Bears are the defending NFC champions, and might just get back on track now that they’re no longer starting stiff Rex Grossman at quarterback.

The “big game” was New England at Indianapolis. It looked like – was – the Colts most of the way, but it was the Pats at the end when it counted. Old home week for me, having watched quarterback Tony Dungy, tight end Ben Utecht, and running back Lawrence Maroney play for my Rodents. Disaffected Minnesota fans convinced themselves that his subtraction was an addition for the Norsemen. Nonsense. Anyway, it was pretty clear that those teams in the RCA Dome are the real thing. They’ll meet again, next time probably to determine the NFL crown – even though only one of them can actually reach the Super Bowl.