Adrian Peterson passes three to reach 18th on rushing list

ATLANTA --Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is now in 18th place on the NFL's all-time rushing list, having passed three retired backs during the first half of the Vikings' game against the Atlanta Falconson Sunday.

The first one Peterson passed carried a special significance for him.

Peterson passed O.J. Simpson for 20th place on the NFL's all-time rushing list with a 10-yard run in the second quarter, eclipsing Simpson's career total of 11,236 yards. On his next carry, Peterson went past Corey Dillon, who was in 19th place with 11,241 yards. Later in the game, he passed John Riggins, who had 11,352 yards.

Peterson, who ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Falcons, now sits at 11,354 yards rushing for his career.

Peterson said last month that Simpson was one of the running backs he most looked forward to passing as he climbed the NFL's rushing leaderboard.

The running back also scored a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 35-yard touchdown with 4:15 remaining in the game, giving him eight for the season and a touchdown in four consecutive games. That streak is Peterson's longest since 2012, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and gave him 94 rushing touchdowns for his career. Peterson leads active players in rushing touchdowns and is 10th in NFL history. He needs five to tie Barry Sanders for ninth all time.