Peterson has drive to run down record

Our candidate for MVP this season is the indomitable Adrian Peterson.

The Vikings tailback piled up a season-best 212 yards on 24 carries Sunday to edge closer to Eric Dickerson's single-season mark of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Peterson had his monster day against the St. Louis Rams - the same club Dickerson toiled for, only in Los Angeles - to lead Minnesota to a 36-22 win. With two games left in the regular season, Peterson has a career-best 1,812 rushing yards - which is just 294 shy of Dickerson's mark.

To put his total in the proper context, consider that Peterson has more rushing yards than 26 teams, including the Eagles, who have run for 1,674 yards.

Peterson, less than a year removed from a serious knee injury, is aware of Dickerson's record, and he's not shy about talking about it.

"Yeah, it's been in my sights," he said. "I'm not focusing on it. It's in the back of my head that, hey I definitely want to accomplish that.

"I look at today's game, and I could have had 300," he continued. Could be. One of his bursts was an 82-yard touchdown run.

Gotta tell you, his candor is more refreshing than hearing such typical pablum as: "Individual records are meaningless. I only care about the team winning."

A week after being charged with intoxication manslaughter in the Dec. 8 car accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown, Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was on the sideline with his teammates for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Brown's No. 53 jersey was draped over the Dallas bench during the home game against Pittsburgh. Cowboys players wore a decal with his number on their helmets.

One way to spin what happened in Oakland on Sunday is to say that defense dominated the game between the Raiders and the Chiefs. Or, we can tell the truth about a Week 14 contest between a 3-10 team and a squad that was 2-11:

The game was decided by Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski, who kicked five field goals to account for all the scoring in the Raiders' 15-0 win over the now 2-12 Chiefs.

The NFL on Sunday honored the 20 children and six adults shot to death Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., with moments of silence and other observances.