GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Adrian Peterson didn't waste much time showing his new team what he still could do -- and it helped him move up in the record books.
Peterson rushed 26 times for 96 yards and added two receptions for 70 more yards in the Washington Redskins' 24-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The 166 yards from scrimmage makes Peterson the oldest running back with 150 scrimmage yards in a season opener since the 1970 merger. Peterson is 33 years and 172 days old. DeAngelo Williams previously held the mark, which he set for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016, when he was 33 years and 140 days old.
"That's the Adrian we know and love right there," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.
In reaching those numbers, Peterson passed Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list, moving into 10th place. Peterson now has 12,372 career yards and trails Tony Dorsett (12,739) for ninth place. Peterson also rushed for his 100th career touchdown, tying him for seventh all time with Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk.
Peterson said he was aware of both marks entering the game, largely because family and friends kept reminding him. He entered the game needing 37 yards to surpass Brown, and he picked it up before the end of the first quarter, moving ahead of the Cleveland Browns legend on a third-and-1 run.
"It means a lot," Peterson said. "I have a lot of support that keeps me going and keeps me motivated. Not only do I do it for myself and my family, but I do it for my fan base, as well."
On Sunday, he did it for the Redskins, a team he signed with before their third preseason game. He received a game ball for his 100th touchdown. That scoring play gave Washington a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.
He surpassed Brown in the first quarter, picking up eight yards and showing he still has some speed to the outside.
But since he has been with Washington, coaches and players have raved about Peterson, from the tips he provides other backs to just the shape he is in. At one point on Friday, Williams, his close friend, predicted the success Peterson would have Sunday. He even mentioned to watch out for him in the pass game on screens or checkdowns. Indeed, Peterson turned one screen pass into an 18-yard gain and later ran 52 yards off a bootleg pass, though he fumbled at the end.
Of his 26 carries, only three lost yardage and 10 gained at least four yards.
"A guy like AP can come in and make negative plays positive plays," Redskins tackle Morgan Moses said. "Guy's going to get three to four yards no matter what."
But Peterson said it could have been better. He's still getting in synch with his line; on one occasion, he nearly ran into one of the pulling linemen going through a hole.
"I left a lot of yards out there," Peterson said. "Conditioning, I felt strong. My eyes, for whatever reason, aren't as sharp as I expected them to be. There were some missed holes there, some missed opportunities. That happens."
Once Peterson played for Washington in the preseason, there was no doubt he would be its starter. The big question for Peterson will be what he can do over 16 games. But he showed that he can still run with power and use his speed effectively, as he did on the third-down run on which he surpassed Brown. On that play, he took a pitch to the left and beat the defender to the outside.
Peterson was part of an explosive rushing attack, as Washington gained 182 yards overall. Chris Thompson added 65 yards on five carries, providing a spark with his shiftiness. But Peterson added the muscle and handled the duties that the Redskins drafted Derrius Guice to do. But due to injuries to Guice and others, the Redskins turned to Peterson.
He knows what he must do in Washington.
"You have to set the tempo," Peterson said. "That's one thing I want to bring to this team -- being physical, every play, relentless. Some opportunities I had where I was able to drop my shoulder and set that tempo and show the guys that this is what I'm going to bring every time I touch it. You can see it spread not only to the offensive side of the ball, but to the defensive side, as well."
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.