We'll debut the PetersonWatch at the end of Week 15, mostly because this is the first time when Adrian Peterson's pursuit of Eric Dickerson's NFL record for rushing yards in a season seemed a realistic possibility.

Peterson's 212-yard performance Sunday against the St. Louis Rams actually put him ahead of the 14-game pace Dickerson set in 1984, as the chart shows. Dickerson, of course, finished with 313 yards over his last two games to push his season total to 2,105.

Peterson needs 294 yards over the Vikings' final two games -- against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers -- to break the record.

It's fair to note that there have been four instances in NFL history when running backs had more yards through 14 games than Peterson currently has. O.J. Simpson did it twice, while Jim Brown and Walter Payton also had more than Peterson's current total of 1,812 yards.

But the most recent occasion was Payton in 1977, meaning Peterson has the highest 14-game total in 35 years. That is significant when you realize how the NFL has transitioned to a passing league over that time.

Here, though, is the most incredible statistic unearthed this weekend: Peterson has 1,313 yards in his past eight games, the most of any NFL running back over such a short span. In other words, Peterson has produced a season's worth of rushing yards in half of one. (Hat tip to Randall Liu of the league office for that one.)