Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson sat down with NFL Network analyst Marshall Faulk for an "NFL GameDay Morning" segment that ran Saturday and touched on a variety of subjects, including his disappointment in not breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record and his goal to get it in 2013.
"It was a terrible feeling," Peterson said. "I kind of figured I didn't break the record. I kind of assumed maybe I was 30 to 40 (yards) away from it.
"When I heard 9 (yards), my heart just sunk into my stomach. (There were) five, six, seven plays I was impatient or made the wrong read -- I could have blew it out the water."
He intends to blow it out the water next season. Dickerson finished with 2,105 yards in 1985. Peterson wants 2,500.
"I want to try to set the ball higher than that," Peterson said. "I want to make it the 2,500 club.
"It's definitely out there. I feel like it's definitely attainable. ... Enjoy this last year because the record's going down, with ease."
Peterson is one of the NFL MVP favorites, along with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Peterrson has the least offensive help of the three and nearly broke one of the NFL's hallowed record less than 12 months after he tore two knee ligaments.
"It would mean a lot to win the MVP," Peterson said. "I want to win it, and I think I've worked hard enough, but it's not going to define me.
"Inside, I'm my own MVP."
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
