MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minutes after Adrian Peterson lost a fourth-quarter fumble at the San Diego 20-yard line, the ball was back in his hands.
He rumbled around right end, paused to set up his blocks, and sprinted 46 yards up the sideline for Minnesota's game-clinching touchdown.
This rookie doesn't make many mistakes. He simply sets a lot of records.
Racing to the NFL's single-game rushing record of 296 yards at the midpoint of his first pro season, Peterson carried the Vikings to a 35-17 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.
He didn't realize the significance of his performance until his benign three-yard carry took the clock under 60 seconds and sent him past Jamal Lewis' 295-yard performance against Cleveland in 2003 for the best game a running back has ever had in this league.
"Oh, no. I was out playing ball," Peterson said. "I wasn't thinking about the record at all."
There are more for him to ponder.
-- On 30 carries, Peterson topped 200 yards rushing for the second time in one season, a feat no other rookie has accomplished.
-- Peterson scored two of his three touchdowns and gained 253 yards in the second half, helping the Vikings rally from a 14-7 deficit. They trailed at the half after Antonio Cromartie plucked a missed field goal out of the air and returned it 109 yards for a touchdown, the longest play in NFL history.
-- Peterson reached 1,036 yards rushing this season, a pace that would smash Eric Dickerson's rookie record of 1,808 yards set in 1983. Dickerson's all-time record of 2,105 yards in 1984 is also in reach.
"I set my bar high, because I know anything is possible when you continue to work hard," Peterson said.
Big congrats to the guy, especially considering he is only a rookie. What an amazing performance he put on against a good chargers defence and I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a shot at the single season record if he keeps this pace up.