Dec. 16, 1973

By running for 219 yards against the New England Patriots the previous week, O.J. Simpson positioned himself to crack the 2,000-yard barrier. On the frozen tundra at snow-covered Shea Stadium today, in the season finale, the Buffalo Bills running back doesn't disappoint his followers.

He runs through the New York Jets for exactly 200 yards to become the National Football League's first 2,000-yard man, finishing with 2,003 and breaking Jim Brown's 10-year-old record of 1,863 yards.

After the game, the Juice predicts his record will fall someday. It does -- in 1984, when Eric Dickerson will gain 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams. But Simpson remains the only running back in NFL history to better 2,000 yards in 14 games.