Minnesota Vikings: Top 20 games in franchise history
By Dan Zinski
11. Vikings beat Packers to secure playoff berth
Dec. 30, 2012. The Vikings beat the Packers to secure a playoff berth but Adrian Peterson came up just short in his chase for Eric Dickerson’s record.
The Vikes had two orders of business going into their week 17 matchup with the Packers: Get into the playoffs and get Adrian Peterson the all-time single-season rushing record.
Well, one out of two ain’t bad.
Not that Peterson didn’t give it a heck of an effort.
As a matter of fact, Peterson ran like a man possessed against the hapless Packers defense, rushing for 199 yards on 34 carries. Unfortunately, Peterson went into the night needing 208 yards.
Coming up nine yards short must have stung for Peterson, but he didn’t show it during his post-game interview with Pam Oliver
The Vikings needed some late-game heroics from Christian Ponder (and some woefully soft Packer defense) to finish off the win and earn an unlikely playoff berth.
That the Vikings would end up getting stomped in Green Bay the following weekend, with Ponder on the shelf due to a badly swollen arm, puts sort of a sad capper on the story.
But coming up short is something Viking fans were used to by then.