NFL single game rushing record moments that shook the league
From rain-soaked battles to iconic runs, rushing record games define the NFL’s power on the ground.
High point of greatness
The NFL of today is filled with breathtaking catches and bombs thrown for 70-yard touchdowns.
But the moment the sky opens with rain and snow, or the wind starts howling, the passing game takes a back seat.
The game on the ground becomes the top, and rushing yards become the only yard among the statistics.
Over the years, we have seen some remarkable individual displays that have changed the course of their teams’ victories.
These cases lived on the pages of the sport’s records as the high point of greatness - and nothing exemplifies that more than the NFL single-game rushing record.
What is the best single-game performance in the NFL?
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings: 296 yards
The next time you’re curious what the zenith of running back supremacy is, harken back to November 4th, 2007.
Rookie Adrian Peterson put his name in the record books when he bolted past the San Diego Chargers for an all-time best 296 rushing yards, setting the single-game rushing record in the NFL.
What made it even more remarkable was the timing. Just before halftime, the Chargers returned a missed field goal for a 109-yard touchdown, swinging momentum.
But Peterson came out in the second half and immediately flipped the script with a 64-yard touchdown run. From that moment on, he was unstoppable.
Every carry seemed to go for big yardage, leaving San Diego’s defense gasping.
The record almost slipped away until a quick-thinking PR director reminded coaches that Peterson was within reach of history.
The Vikings gave him one more carry, and a simple three-yard run up the middle sealed his place in the books as one of the biggest blowout in NFL history.
Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens: 295 yards
Just four years earlier, Jamal Lewis nearly set the mark himself.
On September 14, 2003, against the Cleveland Browns, he rumbled for 295 yards and two touchdowns, including an 82-yard sprint that left defenders in the dust.
The performance was especially sweet considering that before the game, Browns safety Earl Little had dismissed Lewis as nothing special.
By the end of the afternoon, Lewis had silenced every critic and cemented himself as one of the most physically imposing backs of his generation.
Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns: 286 yards
Fast forward to 2009, and Jerome Harrison etched his own name near the top of the list.
On December 20 against Kansas City, he racked up 286 yards and three scores, breaking the Cleveland Browns’ franchise record previously held by the legendary Jim Brown.
Harrison’s breakout didn’t just stop there. He carried that momentum through the final stretch of the season, piling up 561 yards and five touchdowns in the last three games - proof that sometimes one extraordinary performance can unlock a player’s full potential.
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Beyond one game: Single-season dominance
And though the NFL single-game rushing record is a snapshot of time, dominating over an entire season is greatness of another sort.
In 1984, Eric Dickerson produced one of the most iconic seasons in league history when he rushed for 2,105 yards with the Rams.
No one has since eclipsed that number, and to this day, Dickerson remains the only person to have rushed for more than 2,100 yards in a season.
He rushed for a staggering 131.6 yards per game and 5.6 average while making his second of five All-Pro teams.
For his part, his final total of 13,259 rushing yards upon retirement ranked second in NFL history, behind only Walter Payton - a measure of both how long he lasted and how great he was.
Most team rushing yards in a game
Individual dominance is one thing, but at times, whole teams cobble together ground assaults that simply overpower foes.
The New York Giants have the record for most as a team in one game with 423 yards against the Colts.
Seven players carried the ball that day, but Eddie Price led the way with 145 yards and two touchdowns.
The Giants fell behind early, but then scored 48 straight points to show that when their running game is working properly, they can be simply unstoppable for even the stingiest defenses.
Can you wear 69 in the NFL?
While rushing and passing records dominate headlines, jersey numbers carry their own lore.
Offensive and defensive linemen are usually the only players eligible to wear numbers 50–79, which includes the famous (and often joked-about) number 69.
Players like Cory Durden of the Giants and Tom Ackerman of the Saints once wore it proudly.
With recent rule changes, the NFL has allowed more flexibility in jersey numbers, even opening the door for players at several positions to wear zero.
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