Lots of busy rookie runners last year, which is unusual.
Of the eight running backs who averaged at least 21 touches per game (both runs and catches), three of those guys were rookies.
Stats here are per-game numbers. That is, I didn’t start the counting for LeVeon Bell until he got healthy and started playing in Week 4. And I’m setting aside those early weeks for Zac Stacy, when he was a backup behind Daryl Richardson.
Among guys who started at least half of the season, these guys were the busiest:
BUSIEST RUNNING BACKS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | Player | St | Run | Rec | Tot |
St.L. | Zac Stacy | 12 | 20.8 | 2.2 | 22.9 |
Phil. | LeSean McCoy | 16 | 19.6 | 3.3 | 22.9 |
Chi. | Matt Forte | 16 | 18.1 | 4.6 | 22.7 |
Pitt. | LeVeon Bell | 13 | 18.8 | 3.5 | 22.2 |
Minn. | Adrian Peterson | 14 | 19.9 | 2.1 | 22.0 |
K.C. | Jamaal Charles | 15 | 17.3 | 4.7 | 21.9 |
G.B. | Eddie Lacy | 15 | 18.9 | 2.3 | 21.3 |
Sea. | Marshawn Lynch | 16 | 18.8 | 2.3 | 21.1 |
S.D. | Ryan Mathews | 15 | 18.8 | 1.7 | 20.5 |
Tenn. | Chris Johnson | 16 | 17.4 | 2.6 | 20.1 |
NYG | Andre Brown | 8 | 17.4 | 2.5 | 19.9 |
Det. | Reggie Bush | 14 | 15.9 | 3.9 | 19.8 |
Dall. | DeMarco Murray | 14 | 15.5 | 3.8 | 19.3 |
Den. | Knowshon Moreno | 16 | 15.1 | 3.8 | 18.8 |
Jac. | Maurice Jones-Drew | 15 | 15.6 | 2.9 | 18.5 |
S.F. | Frank Gore | 16 | 17.3 | 1.0 | 18.3 |
Balt. | Ray Rice | 15 | 14.3 | 3.9 | 18.1 |
Hou. | Arian Foster | 8 | 15.1 | 2.8 | 17.9 |
Wash. | Alfred Morris | 16 | 17.3 | .6 | 17.8 |
Oak. | Rashad Jennings | 8 | 15.3 | 2.1 | 17.4 |
—Ian Allan