When looking at team rushing production, I like to separate out the quarterbacks. (To a lesser degree, the wide receivers as well.) Ultimately I want to see what the running backs can do on designed running plays. Any team with a guy like Cam Newton, Michael Vick or Russell Wilson, after all, will have a good running game. I want to see what those teams can do without the quarterback.
In the case of Carolina, they go from being an above-average running game to being a bottom-10 group.
One team that jumps out to me are the Browns. They didn’t have a running quarterback last year (Brian Hoyer started most of their game), so they’re an offense that looks a lot better when you look only at the actual running backs. Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West are a nice one-two punch of youngsters.
In the case of the Browns, when we see aside the quarterbacks and end-around yards by wide receivers, Cleveland has the 7th-best running game in the league. Only 10 teams ran for more yards, and only one team (Kansas City) scored more rushing touchdowns.
| RUSHING PRODUCTION (running backs only) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Team | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Points |
| 1. | Dallas | 472 | 2,287 | 4.8 | 16 | 324.7 |
| 2. | Baltimore | 402 | 1,936 | 4.8 | 14 | 277.6 |
| 3. | Cincinnati | 414 | 1,874 | 4.5 | 15 | 277.4 |
| 4. | Philadelphia | 415 | 1,820 | 4.4 | 15 | 272.0 |
| 5. | Kansas City | 365 | 1,651 | 4.5 | 17 | 267.1 |
| 6. | Denver | 400 | 1,749 | 4.4 | 15 | 264.9 |
| 7. | Cleveland | 437 | 1,634 | 3.7 | 16 | 259.4 |
| 8. | Seattle | 389 | 1,793 | 4.6 | 13 | 257.3 |
| 9. | Houston | 474 | 1,931 | 4.1 | 10 | 253.1 |
| 10. | New Orleans | 369 | 1,608 | 4.4 | 14 | 244.8 |
| 11. | Green Bay | 371 | 1,621 | 4.4 | 12 | 234.1 |
| 12. | New England | 379 | 1,556 | 4.1 | 13 | 233.6 |
| 13. | Pittsburgh | 376 | 1,683 | 4.5 | 10 | 228.3 |
| 14. | NY Giants | 426 | 1,542 | 3.6 | 12 | 226.2 |
| 15. | Miami | 334 | 1,548 | 4.6 | 11 | 220.8 |
| 16. | Washington | 333 | 1,399 | 4.2 | 13 | 217.9 |
| 17. | NY Jets | 393 | 1,648 | 4.2 | 8 | 212.8 |
| 18. | San Francisco | 353 | 1,467 | 4.2 | 8 | 194.7 |
| 19. | Atlanta | 336 | 1,316 | 3.9 | 10 | 191.6 |
| 20. | Minnesota | 336 | 1,336 | 4.0 | 9 | 187.6 |
| 21. | Detroit | 346 | 1,300 | 3.8 | 9 | 184.0 |
| 22. | St. Louis | 328 | 1,334 | 4.1 | 8 | 181.4 |
| 23. | Jacksonville | 297 | 1,180 | 4.0 | 9 | 172.0 |
| 24. | Buffalo | 366 | 1,400 | 3.8 | 5 | 170.0 |
| 25. | Carolina | 351 | 1,379 | 3.9 | 5 | 167.9 |
| 26. | Indianapolis | 337 | 1,313 | 3.9 | 6 | 167.3 |
| 27. | San Diego | 348 | 1,232 | 3.5 | 6 | 159.2 |
| 28. | Arizona | 356 | 1,217 | 3.4 | 6 | 157.7 |
| 29. | Chicago | 302 | 1,196 | 4.0 | 6 | 155.6 |
| 30. | Tennessee | 304 | 1,158 | 3.8 | 5 | 145.8 |
| 31. | Tampa Bay | 316 | 1,180 | 3.7 | 4 | 142.0 |
| 32. | Oakland | 303 | 1,139 | 3.8 | 4 | 137.9 |
—Ian Allan