Vikings' Adrian Peterson talks 2,500 yards, MVP

If you assume Adrian Peterson is satisfied with being the frontrunner for NFL MVP coming off his first 2,000-yard season — and if you need a reminder, he racked up 2,097 after tearing not one, but two knee ligaments 378 days ago — then think again.

The Minnesota Vikings' perennial Pro Bowl back floated the notion of rushing for 2,500 yards to USA TODAY Sports' Lindsay H. Jones last week, though that's nearly 400 more than Eric Dickerson's record of 2,105.

Peterson reiterated the goal to NFL Network's Marshall Faulk on GameDay Morning today.

"It is definitely attainable. I can get it," Peterson said of a seemingly unrealistic goal when Faulk, a pretty good back himself during a Hall-of-Fame career, incredulously asked if 2,500 was truly attainable.

Yes, he's deadly serious.

And, yes, he does like his MVP chances even though Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and perhaps others will garner some votes.

"I know that I'm the MVP," he said. "In my mind, I'm the comeback player of the year. I don't need the award to define this and solidify what it is. I know, and I'm satisfied with it. MVP represents the best player in the league. Whether I win it or not, I feel like I am."

Peterson, who still can't seem to believe he fell 9 yards shy of wresting Dickerson's mark away last week — "It was a terrible feeling," he said, "when I heard nine, my heart sunk into my stomach," — would need to average 156.3 rushing yards over 16 games to reach 2,500. He managed 164.1 during an eight-game stretch (1,313 yards) late in the 2012 season.

Whether or not the man known as A.D. ("All Day") plants a flag on the 2,500-yard plateau, he's supremely confident he'll get at least 2,106 yards in 2013.

Peterson directed the following advice to Dickerson, who doesn't want to surrender his 28-year-old record: "Enjoy this last year, because the record is going down, with ease."

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