Sanders passes season 2,000-yard rushing milestone; Lions make playoffs

Jet, Jan 12, 1998

Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, with a 184-yard effort against the New York Jets, became only the third player in NFL history to surpass running 2,000 yards in a single season.

O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson are the other players to do it.

The Lions' 13-10 victory over the Jets put the team in the playoffs and knocked the Jets out.

"The most significant thing coming into this game was making sure we could play next week, and the 2,000 yards, that was secondary" Sanders said. "I never expected to be able to do this, and I'm eternally grateful that it happened."

Sanders, who also extended his league-record streak to 14-straight 100-yard games, reached 2,000 yards with a two-yard run late in the game. He broke free for 53 yards on the next play.

Sanders' total after the game was 2,053 yards, which beat Simpson's 2,003 in 1973 and is second to Dickerson's 2,105 in 1984.