Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!
In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.
It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.
On the fifth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Adrian Peterson sets the NFL rushing record.
When the Vikings selected Peterson with the seventh selection in the 2007 NFL draft, it felt like a luxury pick. They had signed Chester Taylor just a year prior and he was great that season in breaking 1,000 yards and being a true all-purpose back. The Vikings took Peterson because he was both the best player on the board and, as we found out quickly, he was special.
His rookie season saw Taylor start early but it didn’t take long for Peterson to take command of the offense. His first game saw him carry the ball 19 times for 103 yards and a 60 yard touchdown on a screen pass.
Week five saw him run for his first 200 yard game, gaining 224 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, but the pivotal week eight game against the Chargers changed everything.
The game was innocuous at the half. The Chargers’ Antonio Cromartie set an NFL record at the half by returning a Ryan Longwell missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.
Once the second half started, it was the Adrian Peterson show. He scored on runs of 64 and 46 yards while torching the Chargers defense for almost 10 yards per carry on 30 carries.
296 rush yards in one game. @AdrianPeterson ran ALL DAY. (Nov. 4, 2007)
He returns to Minnesota tomorrow on #TNF.#WASvsMIN: Thursday (8pm ET) on @nflnetwork | @NFLonFOX | @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/Oy69A0XiVt
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) October 23, 2019
It wasn’t just a tremendous performance from Peterson, but rather it was otherworldly. The Vikings outscored the Chargers 28-3 in the second half en route to a dominating win.
The game was the best of Peterson’s Hall of Fame career, but it set the tone for both the Minnesota Vikings’ prospects and what Peterson would be moving forward. He announced his presence to everyone who wasn’t paying attention to his excellent season to that point and they took notice when he was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Things continued to skyrocket for Peterson after this game, including the second-best rushing season in NFL history in 2012.
Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:
Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings