Factoid

December 09, 2014

Big game running backs

Huge games tend to come late in the season

LeVeon Bell and DeMarco Murray had the big games last week. Jonathan Stewart also ran for 155 yards.

And I am reminded that those games are a lot more common later in the year.

I’m not sure why this is. Weather might be a factor. It gets a little colder and a little more windy, and teams want to run more. It could have something to do with offensive lines and running backs getting their timing down. Or it could be more due to teams simply separating in talent towards the end of the season. Teams are making their playoff runs, while others are getting hit by injuries or simply admitting they’re not that good.

Whatever the reason, big games by running backs happen more often late in the year.

In the last five years, there have been 96 games where running backs have gone for 150-plus yards. Over half of those have been after Week 11.

There have been five weeks in which it’s happened at least eight times – Weeks 12, 13 and 17 (9 each), and Weeks 9 and 14 (8 each).

There have been six weeks where they have been only 2-4 of these games, and that’s where you’ll find Weeks 1, 2, 4 and 6.

RUNNING FOR 150 YARDS (since 2010)
Year	Week	Player	Opp	Att	Yds
2010	1	Arian Foster, Hou.	Ind.	33	231
2011	1	Darren McFadden, Oak.	at Den.	22	150
2012	1	C.J. Spiller, Buff.	at NYJ	14	169
2013	1	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	at Wash.	31	184
2012	2	Reggie Bush, Mia.	Oak.	26	172
2014	2	DeMarco Murray, Dall.	at Ten.	29	167
2010	3	Adrian Peterson, Min.	Det.	23	160
2011	3	Darren McFadden, Oak.	NYJ	19	171
2012	3	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	at N.O.	33	233
2012	3	Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.	at Ind.	28	177
2013	3	DeMarco Murray, Dall.	St.L.	26	175
2013	3	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	K.C.	20	158
2014	3	Rashad Jennings, NYG	Hou.	34	176
2011	4	Matt Forte, Chi.	Car.	25	205
2011	4	Arian Foster, Hou.	Pitt.	30	155
2013	4	Frank Gore, S.F.	at St.L.	20	153
2010	5	Matt Forte, Chi.	at Car.	22	166
2011	5	Jahvid Best, Det.	Chi.	12	163
2012	5	Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG	Clev.	30	200
2012	5	Arian Foster, Hou.	at NYJ	29	152
2012	5	Stevan Ridley, N.E.	Den.	28	151
2014	5	Arian Foster, Hou.	at Dall.	23	157
2010	6	Chris Ivory, N.O.	at T.B.	15	158
2012	6	Shonn Greene, NYJ	Ind.	32	161
2010	7	Darren McFadden, Oak.	at Den.	16	165
2011	7	DeMarco Murray, Dall.	St.L.	25	253
2011	7	Adrian Peterson, Min.	G.B.	24	175
2012	7	Chris Johnson, Ten.	at Buff.	18	195
2012	7	Adrian Peterson, Min.	Ariz.	23	153
2014	7	Mark Ingram, N.O.	G.B.	24	172
2010	8	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	Buff.	22	177
2011	8	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	Dall.	30	185
2011	8	Steven Jackson, St.L.	N.O.	25	159
2013	8	Andre Ellington, Ariz.	Atl.	15	154
2014	8	Arian Foster, Hou.	at Ten.	20	151
2010	9	Peyton Hillis, Clev.	N.E.	29	184
2011	9	Willis McGahee, Den.	at Oak.	20	163
2012	9	Doug Martin, T.B.	at Oak.	25	251
2012	9	Adrian Peterson, Min.	at Sea.	17	182
2013	9	Mike James, T.B.	at Sea.	28	158
2013	9	Chris Johnson, Ten.	at St.L.	23	150
2013	9	Eddie Lacy, G.B.	Chi.	22	150
2014	9	Jeremy Hill, Cin.	Jac.	24	154
2011	10	Michael Bush, Oak.	at S.D.	30	157
2012	10	Adrian Peterson, Min.	Det.	27	171
2013	10	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	at G.B.	25	155
2013	11	Bobby Rainey, T.B.	Atl.	30	163
2013	11	Rashad Jennings, Oak.	at Hou.	22	150
2014	11	Jonas Gray, N.E.	at Ind.	37	201
2014	11	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	Sea.	20	159
2014	11	Alfred Blue, Hou.	at Clev.	36	156
2014	11	Jeremy Hill, Cin.	at N.O.	27	152
2010	12	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	at Sea.	22	173
2010	12	Rashard Mendenhall, Pitt.	at Buff.	36	151
2011	12	Beanie Wells, Ariz.	at St.L.	27	228
2011	12	Chris Johnson, Ten.	T.B.	23	190
2012	12	Bryce Brown, Phil.	Car.	19	178
2013	12	Knowshon Moreno, Den.	at N.E.	37	224
2014	12	LeVeon Bell, Pitt.	at Ten.	33	204
2014	12	Justin Forsett, Balt.	at N.O.	22	182
2014	12	C.J. Anderson, Den.	Mia.	27	167
2010	13	Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.	at Ten.	31	186
2010	13	Knowshon Moreno, Den.	at K.C.	23	161
2011	13	Ray Rice, Balt.	at Clev.	29	204
2011	13	Chris Johnson, Ten.	at Buff.	23	153
2012	13	Adrian Peterson, Min.	at G.B.	21	210
2012	13	Bryce Brown, Phil.	at Dall.	24	169
2013	13	Adrian Peterson, Min.	Chi.	35	211
2014	13	C.J. Anderson, Den.	at K.C.	32	168
2014	13	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	at Dall.	25	159
2010	14	Ryan Torain, Wash.	T.B.	24	172
2012	14	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	at Clev.	18	165
2012	14	Adrian Peterson, Min.	Chi.	31	154
2013	14	LeSean McCoy, Phil.	Det.	29	217
2013	14	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	at Wash.	19	150
2014	14	LeVeon Bell, Pitt.	at Cin.	26	185
2014	14	DeMarco Murray, Dall.	at Chi.	32	179
2014	14	Jonathan Stewart, Car.	at N.O.	20	155
2010	15	Ray Rice, Balt.	N.O.	31	153
2010	15	Cedric Benson, Cin.	Clev.	31	150
2011	15	Reggie Bush, Mia.	at Buff.	25	203
2011	15	Donald Brown, Ind.	Ten.	16	161
2012	15	Adrian Peterson, Min.	at St.L.	24	212
2012	15	Arian Foster, Hou.	Ind.	27	165
2010	16	LeGarrette Blount, T.B.	Sea.	18	164
2011	16	Arian Foster, Hou.	at Ind.	23	158
2012	16	Jamaal Charles, K.C.	Ind.	22	226
2010	17	Arian Foster, Hou.	Jac.	31	180
2010	17	Joe McKnight, NYJ	Buff.	32	158
2011	17	Ray Rice, Balt.	at Cin.	24	191
2011	17	Michael Turner, Atl.	T.B.	17	172
2011	17	Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.	Ind.	25	169
2012	17	DeAngelo Williams, Car.	at N.O.	21	210
2012	17	Alfred Morris, Wash.	Dall.	33	200
2012	17	Adrian Peterson, Min.	G.B.	34	199
2013	17	LeGarrette Blount, N.E.	Buff.	24	189

—Ian Allan

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