EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Adrian Peterson was almost as good as ever in 2015.

The Vikings running back had some help along the way, too.

Peterson led the league in rushing with 1,485 yards, the third rushing crown of his nine-year career.

The Texas native also led the league in carries with 327 and tied for the league lead with 11 rushing touchdowns. 

In other words, it was another standout season in a long line of them for Peterson, who returned to the Vikings after playing in just one game in 2014.

"I think it was a blessing to be able to come back and accomplish some great things," Peterson said.

"Any time you can heal the body and let the body rest, the body didn't feel too beat up down the stretch," he added. "I felt fresh. I recovered faster. You can't do too much about ankle injuries and things like that, but overall I came out on top."

Peterson's return helped boost a Minnesota rushing attack that was in the middle of the pack the year before.

The Vikings ranked 14th in 2014 with 112.8 rushing yards per game. Peterson's strong campaign elevated the Vikings to fourth in the NFL this season at 138.2 yards per game.

Peterson compiled seven 100-yard games this season, including a 203-yard performance at Oakland on Nov. 15. 

Peterson's 200-plus-yard game against the Raiders was the sixth of his career, which tied an NFL record.

The Vikings were a perfect 7-0 in games where Peterson topped the century mark. 

Peterson's 1,485 yards were the third-most of his career, behind his 1,760-yard season in 2008 and his historic 2012 campaign in which he ran for 2,097 yards. He added 30 catches for 222 yards, including a 49-yard rumble in the home opener against Detroit.

Peterson opened the 2015 season at 28th on the NFL's all-time rush yards list. He'll enter 2016 with 11,675 yards, which ranks 17th all-time.

Yet even at 30 years old, Peterson said there are still areas of his game that need to improve.

A day after a 10-9 loss to Seattle in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, Peterson pointed to his fourth-quarter fumble as a turning point in the game. 

He said eliminating turnovers is at the top of his offseason priority list.

"The first thing that comes to mind is making sure I put an emphasis on protecting the ball," Peterson said on Jan. 11. "That's going to be my number one objective going into the offseason. 

"You take things for granted," He added. I've joked around and said, 'Yeah, I've put the ball on the turf, but how many have I lost?' When it bites you in this type of way, it's something I'm going to put an emphasis on this offseason."

Peterson has also become a mentor to Jerick McKinnon, the Vikings second-year running back who had his role reduced from his rookie campaign but flashed plenty of potential in 2015. 

McKinnon rushed for 271 yards on 52 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per carry, while also scoring two touchdowns.

McKinnon's top performance of 2015 came in the Vikings 49-17 win against the Giants in Week 16 that clinched the Vikings a playoff spot.

The 2014 third-round pick ran for 89 yards on just seven carries and scored both of his rushing touchdowns.

McKinnon also caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in a 38-17 home win against the Bears and finished with 21 catches for 173 yards. 

"I was blessed and fortunate to get my first touchdown," McKinnon said. "I just have so much respect and love for the guys, my teammates, the guys in this locker room and the coaches. I can't wait to see how everybody does in the offseason and how they come back and get better."

Fourth-year running back Matt Asiata also chipped in with 29 carries for 112 yards and added 19 catches for 132 yards.

Fullback Zach Line was primarily tasked with blocking, but proved to be a bruiser near the goal line, rushing for two touchdowns on just six carries this season. Line also had six receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown.

The chart below shows rushing statistics for the Vikings and their opponents in 2015.