Adrian Peterson has one more chance to make history.
The Minnesota Vikings running back is 102 yards away from rushing for 2,000 on the season. He's 208 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record of 2,105.
If the circumstances were different, the Green Bay Packers sound like a team that would like to see Peterson succeed, but not against them.
"If anybody deserves to get the record, it's definitely AP. No doubt about it," Packers cornerback Tramon Williams told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But unfortunately, they're playing us. We want to put our best foot forward. It's going to be a tough task. We know that already."
Few expected this regular-season finale to have any great meaning, but the Vikings (9-6) are alive for an NFC wild-card spot and the Packers (11-4) can seal up a playoff bye with a win. Besides, nobody in Green Bay wants to spend the next 20 years watching and re-watching clips of Peterson rewrite the record books against the Packers' defense.
"He's a great guy. I've gotten to know him outside of football," Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said. "You'd love to see a guy who has worked so hard and has overcome so much to win that crown -- but ultimately that is against our defense. I don't think any of us want to see that happen. We'll do our best to try and contain him."
A concern for the Packers is what happened last time these teams met, when Peterson stamped this defense for 210 yards in Week 12. That his efforts Sunday also might help the Vikings do what nobody thought they would this season -- buy a ticket for January football -- only adds another intriguing narrative to the NFC North showdown.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
