With four weeks to go, the Vikings are chasing two things: a playoff spot and a place in NFL history as the greatest running team of all time.

 

Minnesota averages 5.629 YPA through 12 games, a number that would rank them No. 3 all time  - about 4 inches per carry behind the all-time leading 1963 Browns (5.737 YPA).

 

Based on their current pace of 31.4 carries per game, the Vikings need to average 6.15 YPA over their final four contests to get past Cleveland for No. 1 all time. They averaged 5.54 YPA in their win over Detroit yesterday (39 for 216).

 

Here's who the Vikings face to close things out:

Interestingly, the Vikings also boast one of the great run defenses of the Super Bowl Era. The 2007 Vikings allow 2.99 yards per rush attempt (283 for 846), which would make the Vikings one of the Top 5 run defenses of the Super Bowl Era (see the complete list here), a couple spots behind the 2006 Vikings (2.83 YPA allowed). But Minnesota doesn't even have the best run defense of 2007. That honor belongs to the 4-7 Ravens, who allow 2.76 YPA. So much for "great teams stop the run."

 

Below is a list of the 31 teams that averaged more than 5.0 YPA over the course of a season, dating back to 1934, the first year that this data is available.

 

Click here for a complete wrap-up of the topic. The one big thing that jumps out from this list is that few of these teams, like the 2007 Vikings (now 6-6) were particularly dominant. Only 13 of the 31 teams on the list made the playoffs, just one won an NFL championship and two won AFL championships.

 

By contrast, the great passing teams have been far more successful than the great running teams. 

 

You can also click here for a look at the Top 20 running attacks of the Super Bowl Era.