Packers have world of respect for Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson rushed for 210 yards against the Green Bay Packers earlier this season and now the Minnesota Vikings running back needs 208 on Sunday to eclipse Eric Dickerson’s NFL record of 2,105 in a single season.

The Packers are focused on winning the game at the Metrodome to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and a first-round bye. But they would also very much like to avoid watching Peterson set a record at their expense.

I mean, I respect Adrian Peterson a lot," cornerback Sam Shields said, according to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's a great running back. But he's a big threat. We need to stop him.”

Outside linebacker Clay Matthews has a world of respect for Peterson. But again, he doesn’t want the Packers defense to be the one that Peterson shreds this season on his way to the record.

“He's a great guy. I've gotten to know him outside of football," Matthews said. "You'd love to see a guy who has worked so hard and has overcome so much to win that crown - but ultimately that is against our defense. I don't think any of us want to see that happen. We'll do our best to try and contain him. He's a fantastic guy, he'll make his plays, but let's hope we don't give up 200 yards again to him."
It will be interesting to see if the Packers can accomplish both of their goals.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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