Fantasy Index

Factoid

Running by running backs

Teams with the best pure rushing offenses

One thing I think we can look at is rushing without the quarterbacks. Any team that has Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick is going to get that extra 500-plus rushing yards. But those teams aren’t necessarily good at running the ball out of a structure offense with running backs.

Below are the running back stats for just running backs. Note the three teams with immobile quarterbacks actually run the ball a lot better than the pure stats indicate. New England, San Diego and Denver ranked 9th, 13th and 15th in rushing, but they finish 1st, 4th and 5th in pure running back rushing.

Five teams (and I’ve got them in bold) fall at least eight spots when you set aside the quarterback scrambles. San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, most notably, go from being top-5 running teams to being just average running teams.

RUNNING BY RUNNING BACKS
RkRBTeamAttYdsAvgTD
9.1.New England43520354.719
1.2.Philadelphia40020195.014
2.3.Buffalo45619994.412
13.4.San Diego44718734.29
15.5.Denver42318534.415
7.6.Green Bay40218164.516
8.7.Minnesota35917154.815
17.8.Detroit40016904.213
6.9.NY Jets39316884.34
20.10.Houston39316394.26
3.11.San Francisco40116144.014
4.12.Seattle40216134.012
5.13.Washington35215904.514
10.14.Kansas City34015564.616
16.15.Chicago35215364.412
14.16.Tennessee39315143.911
23.17.Arizona38915083.912
22.18.Tampa Bay38115023.96
19.19.St. Louis37314703.98
18.20.Cincinnati39814683.712
24.21.Dallas31014474.712
25.22.New Orleans34714244.17
11.23.Carolina36013963.98
12.24.Oakland33313614.114
21.25.Indianapolis33613284.011
27.26.Pittsburgh35712723.68
29.27.NY Giants35612393.510
32.28.Atlanta30311853.911
31.31.Jacksonville33711573.47
26.29.Miami29811543.96
30.30.Baltimore38511352.96
28.32.Cleveland30210063.34

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index