I mean, seriously, can Adrian Peterson run for NINE yards in overtime? Does a bear eat deer in the woods?

Short form: Adrian Peterson just finished NINE yards (8.2m) short of the single season record for running yards, but clinched the #6 (last) seed for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football Conference tournament. Those who sneer at gridiron as "armball:" should check YouTube for Peterson, who could own rugby as easily as he does gridiron. The power of Emmitt Smith with the "f--k, I had both arms around him!" of Barry Sanders: This man is an unheard of force to be reckoned, and the only career 100 yd (90.14m)/game runner beside Jim Brown. I kind of wish he had gotten the record in a Vikings loss, because the Packers will probably destroy the Vikings in next weeks rematch on "the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" (though Green Bays typical conditions DO favor running rather than tossing around a football that feels like a brick.)

The penultimate play record is somewhat underwhelming: 2nd and 10 yards to go at GB 37: A.Peterson off left tackle to GB 11 for 26 yards (tackled by M.Burnett).

He JUST ran 26 yards before ANYONE on the third best team in the National Football Conference could tackle him (and, btw, how crappy is the Packers defense that "let" Adrian Peterson rip them for 210 yards in their first meeting and 199 in their second?) Another 9 yards (8.2296m) and Peterson would have run for more yards than ANYONE in NFL history.

I honestly do not know how to feel about this (partly because I am drunk.) I mean, the Vikings just beat the Packers wholly and entirely because of Adrian Petersons 199 rushing yards. The game winning field goal as time expired was a chip shot; even I could have kicked a football 29 yards (26.5m) to win the game 34-37. But no record for Adrian Peterson; had the game gone to overtime he would have been a mortal lock to gain the measly NINE yards required, but running 26 yards on the next to last play sealed the Vikings victory. If only he had gotten a touchdown, or at least reached the Packers 3 yard line, which would have been enough for the record. Instead, he ran from the Packers 37 yard line to their 11 yard line, an easy kick in an indoor stadium for the Vikings VERY reliable kicker, but NINE yards short of the single season record for yards running. Hell, if the Packers had just never tackled him for a loss it would have been enough.

Adrian Peterson finishes the 2012 season with 2096 running yards from scrimmage, better than Terrell Davis in his two loss season with defending champion Denver or Barry Sanders the same year—but second all time behind Eric Dickersons 2105 yards in 1983 (note: The Rams did not even sniff a playoff berth; everyone knows San Francisco was the only decent NFC West team back in the '80s.) Best of all, it just means the Vikings play the Packers AGAIN next week, but on the road on "the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field," pretty much the crappiest place in the world for an NFL playoff game unless you are 1) a Green Bay Packer or 2) a New York Giant (and how f--king funny is it that that the Giants are UNBEATABLE in Green Bay? )

Only good news for the Packers: Ironically, they were wise to root for the Bears, because Chicagos win eliminates the defending Super Bowl champs from the playoffs (!) and spares them the humiliation of the 9-7 Giants kicking them out of the playoffs yet again on their "Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field."

In other news: My Broncos clinched the #1 seed and homefield in the AFC tournament, but my Texans' loss dropped them to the #3 seed and cost them a first round bye that would have let them get healthy. groundluminous and other Cheatriots fans: Remember, the last thing visiting teams see on exiting the locker room in Mile High is a sign simply stating the following:

Elevation: 5280 feet.

Go, Cowboys; if, by some miracle, you do better than on Thanksgiving, you win the #4 NFC seed; otherwise, you are DONE.

EDIT: Special mention for moondog: How f--king HOPELESS are the Packers on the road against the Vikings?! They should schedule an exhibition game here just to see if Green Bay can even score.

EDIT': Additional mention for groundluminous: Cheatriots 9-18@Denver Broncos.