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By Tom West for Vikings.com

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Adrian Peterson will play in his 118th career regular season game this weekend. So will Matt Forte on the other sideline. Both great backs will share the significance of that number with maybe the greatest back – Jim Brown. His 118th was also his last.

Brown's impact on the NFL and the position is undeniable. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1957, the 6th pick in the draft, and led the NFL in rushing with 942 yards in 12 games, an average of 78.5 yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry. For his 9-season career, Brown would only fall under 1,000 yards one other time — 996 in 1962. He led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons, again only missing in 1962. His career best was 1,863 yards, in 14 games, an average of 133 yards per game.

When Brown walked away from the game, his legend and legacy only grew. How many more seasons could he have played at such a high level? How good could the Cleveland Browns have been? The team won the NFL title in 1964 and was runner-up to Green Bay in 1965. Brown and the Browns never had a losing season in his 9-year tenure. They, in fact, won 10+ games in a 14-game slate in each of his final three seasons: going 10-4 in 1963, 10-3-1 in 1964 and 11-3 in 1965.

Paul Wiggin, the former standout Browns DE from 1957-67, was with Brown his entire career in Cleveland and sees similarities between the two runners. Following his stellar playing career, Wiggin went on to coach and has served with the Vikings in personnel or coaching since 1985. He now works as a Personnel Consultant.

"They're very much the same," Wiggin said. "If you really study the game, you didn't have the complex defenses that you have today at that time. Every time I look at a tape of our game, I look at the emphasis that defenses place on stopping Adrian when he is in the game. There was an emphasis on Jim too because of how much we ran the ball. When I look at how defenses approach Adrian, there's nobody else in the league that faces what he does. Both of these guys in their era brought on a defensive emphasis that was unique for the time. They are that kind of a back.

"I was asked by someone to contact Jim about doing an interview regarding Adrian, and he said he would do it because he admired Adrian so much," Wiggin added. "And that means something coming from Jim Brown, because he doesn't admire a lot of people. If you ask him about other players, he will find their flaws, but he feels that Adrian is something special."

Both players wasted little time making their mark, earning Rookie of the Year honors 50 years apart in 1957 and 2007. Both made defenders pay for taking them on and both played with a drive fueled from within. Their physicality set them apart.

"Jim was 232 every day he played for those nine years, 6-2 and 232. Chiseled," Wiggin recalled. "Adrian is every bit as chiseled as Jim. They're built very similarly. If you put Adrian in the game with the Cleveland Browns in 1964, it would have been something to see. These two are just very unique individuals, and I'd have a hard time saying who is the best."

"The thing I always looked up to about Jim was how he prepared for a game," Wiggin said. "He dressed like a champion. He warmed up like a champion. You felt like everything in his life was for game day. When he was on your team you knew he was doing everything he could do to be the best player he could be. Both, when they enter a room, you look and say 'Who is that?' if you don't already know."

For Peterson, his 118th game will be a milestone that mixes into a promising 2015 season without much fanfare. But personally, Peterson understands what the number means because of the relationship he has with the iconic Brown.

 "It's a blessing to be able to play this long," Peterson said. "Having met Jim Brown, he's a strong-willed guy. Determined. It was reflected on the field when he played the game. What stands out about watching him was the will he showed on each carry, each snap. Hands down one of the greatest players to ever be in the National Football League. I've got tremendous respect for him. He was a trend-setter."

PETERSON – BROWN TALE OF THE TAPE

BORN:   3/21/85          2/17/36

HT/WT:   6-1, 220          6-2, 232

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:   2007          1957

NFL MVP:   2012           1957, '58, '63, 65

NFL LEADING RUSHER:    2008, 2012           1957, '58, '59, '60, '61, '63, '64, '65

RUSHING TDs:   95           106

RECEIVING TDs:   5           20

PASSING TDs:   0           3

SEASON HIGH RUSHING:   2,097 IN 2012          1,863 IN 1963

SINGLE-GAME HIGH:   296 vs. San Diego, 2007          237 vs. LA Rams, 1957 & vs. Philadelphia, 1961

DRAFTED:   #7 overall, 2007           #6 overall, 1957

TAKEN BEHIND:

1 QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU – Oakland Raiders

2 WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech- Detroit Lions

3 T Joe Thomas, Wisconsin - Cleveland Browns

4 T Levi Brown, Penn State – Arizona Cardinals

6 S LaRon Landry, LSU – Washington Redskins

7 RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – Minnesota Vikings

1 RB Paul Hornung, Notre Dame – Green Bay Packers

2 RB Jon Arnett, USC – Los Angeles Rams

3 QB John Brodie, Stanford – San Francisco 49ers

4 TE Ron Kramer, Michigan – Green Bay Packers

5 QB Len Dawson, Purdue – Pittsburgh Steelers

6 RB Jim Brown, Syracuse – Cleveland Browns

Adrian Peterson's Career

Jim Brown's Career