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Rushing the football is a great tool for most teams in the NFL. Players like Adrian Peterson and Walter Payton were hugely successful at running the ball. Sometimes it is used to simply set up the passing game while at other times, in case of players like Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor, the entire gameplan is built around them running the ball.
There have been some huge games in which quarterbacks and receivers have racked up huge numbers in games to set up records, but what about running backs? Sometimes opposing defenses are at a loss to stop a running back who is in the groove.
Top 5 rushing yards in a game in NFL history
#1 - Adrian Peterson, 296 rushing yards
Peterson is a future Hall of Famer and won the NFL MVP award in 2012 as he rushed for 2,092 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Vikings. Against the San Diego Chargers in 2007, Peterson had himself a day.
On 30 attempts, Peterson set an NFL record with 296 rushing yards. He also had three rushing touchdowns for good measure. Peterson averaged 9.9 yards per attempt as the Chargers had no answer to Peterson's running ability.
#2 - Jamal Lewis, 295 rushing yards
As a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2003, Lewis held the record for four years. Against division rivals the Cleveland Browns, Lewis was in superb form. On his 30 rushing attempts, Lewis tallied up 295 yards on the ground as the Ravens accounted for the Browns 33-13.
Lewis averaged 9.8 yards a carry and rushed for two touchdowns in the win in what was a superb display of running back play.
#3 - Jerome Harrison, 286 rushing yards
In 2009, Harrison was unstoppable against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 41-34 win was an incredible game and Harrison had his way. On his 34 carries, Harrison rushed for 286 yards and three touchdowns.
He averaged 8.4 yards a carry and caught two balls for 12 yards. His 286 yards remain a Cleveland Browns record that will be tough to beat.
#4 - Corey Dillon, 278 rushing yards
Against the Denver Broncos in 2000, Dillon rushed for an emphatic 278 yards on just 22 carries. Dillon also rushed for two touchdowns and averaged an incredible 12.6 yards a carry.
The Bengals beat the Broncos 31-21 behind Dillon's career day. He had six carries of 30+ yards as he repeatedly found huge holes in Denver's defense.
#5 - Walter Payton, 275 rushing yards
The Chicago Bears legend made an astonishing 40 attempts in 1977 against the Minnesota Vikings. Payton rushed for 275 yards and averaged 6.9 yards a carry while rushing for one touchdown.
What is surprising is that despite the Bears' dominant run game with Payton, the final score was 10-7 in Chicago's favor as Payton broke O.J. Simpson's record of 273 rushing yards.
