Are running backs disappearing from our game? Sometimes it seems that way. It seems like more teams are rotating their backs and splitting up the workload, and it seems like more teams are relying more on the pass. But other times you get out the numbers, take a look, and things aren’t as dire as you might think.
As far as splitting carries and running back by committee, that’s a topic I’ve addressed before. There’s nothing to it. It was just as popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s as it is today. Go back and check the numbers. When Miami went undefeated in 1972, it had both Larry Csonka an Mercury Morris going over 1,000 yards (and Jim Kiick going over 500). When John Riggins had his big touchdown season in 1983, Joe Washington also ran for 772 yards in that offense. It’s nothing new.
Rushing production is down relative to passing. That can be shown. But there are still plenty of good rushers. The number of 100- and 1,000-yard rushers hasn’t declined over the years.
For this year, consider special running games. That is, instances where running backs go for 150-plus yards. It’s happened eight times already this year.
In only one of the last 10 years have there been more 150-yard runners at this point in the season.
Just saying.
(Also not with these runners, by the way, that none of them are guys who were among the first 10 running backs selected in your league. At running back, you can find guys later on who’ll step up and produce.)
RUNNING BACKS GOING FOR 150-PLUS YARDS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Opp | Score | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
2015 | Lamar Miller, MIA | vs HOU | W 44-26 | 14 | 175 | 12.5 | 1 |
2015 | Thomas Rawls, SEA | at CIN | L 24-27 | 23 | 169 | 7.3 | 1 |
2015 | Carlos Hyde, SF | vs MIN | W 20-3 | 26 | 168 | 6.5 | 2 |
2015 | Chris Ivory, NYJ | at MIA | W 27-14 | 29 | 166 | 5.7 | 1 |
2015 | Todd Gurley, STL | at GB | L 10-24 | 30 | 159 | 5.3 | 0 |
2015 | Devonta Freeman, ATL | vs WAS | W 25-19 | 27 | 153 | 5.7 | 1 |
2015 | Darren McFadden, DAL | at NYG | L 20-27 | 29 | 152 | 5.2 | 1 |
2015 | Justin Forsett, BAL | at PIT | W 23-20 | 27 | 150 | 5.6 | 0 |
2014 | Rashad Jennings, NYG | vs HOU | W 30-17 | 34 | 176 | 5.2 | 1 |
2014 | DeMarco Murray, DAL | at TEN | W 26-10 | 29 | 167 | 5.8 | 1 |
2014 | Arian Foster, HOU | at DAL | L 17-20 | 23 | 157 | 6.8 | 2 |
2013 | LeSean McCoy, PHI | at WAS | W 33-27 | 31 | 184 | 5.9 | 1 |
2013 | DeMarco Murray, DAL | vs STL | W 31-7 | 26 | 175 | 6.7 | 1 |
2013 | LeSean McCoy, PHI | vs KC | L 16-26 | 20 | 158 | 7.9 | 1 |
2013 | Frank Gore, SF | at STL | W 35-11 | 20 | 153 | 7.7 | 1 |
2012 | Jamaal Charles, KC | at NO | W 27-24 | 33 | 233 | 7.1 | 1 |
2012 | Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG | vs CLE | W 41-27 | 30 | 200 | 6.7 | 1 |
2012 | Chris Johnson, TEN | at BUF | W 35-34 | 18 | 195 | 10.8 | 2 |
2012 | Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC | at IND | W 22-17 | 28 | 177 | 6.3 | 1 |
2012 | Reggie Bush, MIA | vs OAK | W 35-13 | 26 | 172 | 6.6 | 2 |
2012 | C.J. Spiller, BUF | at NYJ | L 28-48 | 14 | 169 | 12.1 | 1 |
2012 | Shonn Greene, NYJ | vs IND | W 35-9 | 32 | 161 | 5.0 | 3 |
2012 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | vs ARI | W 21-14 | 23 | 153 | 6.7 | 1 |
2012 | Arian Foster, HOU | at NYJ | W 23-17 | 29 | 152 | 5.2 | 1 |
2012 | Stevan Ridley, NE | vs DEN | W 31-21 | 28 | 151 | 5.4 | 1 |
2011 | DeMarco Murray, DAL | vs STL | W 34-7 | 25 | 253 | 10.1 | 1 |
2011 | Matt Forte, CHI | vs CAR | W 34-29 | 25 | 205 | 8.2 | 1 |
2011 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | vs GB | L 27-33 | 24 | 175 | 7.3 | 1 |
2011 | Darren McFadden, OAK | vs NYJ | W 34-24 | 19 | 171 | 9.0 | 2 |
2011 | Jahvid Best, DET | vs CHI | W 24-13 | 12 | 163 | 13.6 | 1 |
2011 | Arian Foster, HOU | vs PIT | W 17-10 | 30 | 155 | 5.2 | 1 |
2011 | Darren McFadden, OAK | at DEN | W 23-20 | 22 | 150 | 6.8 | 0 |
2010 | Arian Foster, HOU | vs IND | W 34-24 | 33 | 231 | 7.0 | 3 |
2010 | Matt Forte, CHI | at CAR | W 23-6 | 22 | 166 | 7.5 | 2 |
2010 | Darren McFadden, OAK | at DEN | W 59-14 | 16 | 165 | 10.3 | 3 |
2010 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | vs DET | W 24-10 | 23 | 160 | 7.0 | 2 |
2010 | Chris Ivory, NO | at TB | W 31-6 | 15 | 158 | 10.5 | 0 |
2009 | Thomas Jones, NYJ | vs BUF | L 13-16 | 22 | 210 | 9.5 | 1 |
2009 | Frank Gore, SF | vs SEA | W 23-10 | 16 | 207 | 12.9 | 2 |
2009 | Chris Johnson, TEN | vs HOU | L 31-34 | 16 | 197 | 12.3 | 2 |
2009 | Cedric Benson, CIN | vs CHI | W 45-10 | 37 | 189 | 5.1 | 1 |
2009 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | at CLE | W 34-20 | 25 | 180 | 7.2 | 3 |
2009 | Rashard Mendenhall, PIT | vs SD | W 38-28 | 29 | 165 | 5.7 | 2 |
2009 | Fred Jackson, BUF | vs TB | W 33-20 | 28 | 163 | 5.8 | 0 |
2009 | DeAngelo Williams, CAR | at TB | W 28-21 | 30 | 152 | 5.1 | 2 |
2008 | Michael Turner, ATL | vs DET | W 34-21 | 22 | 220 | 10.0 | 2 |
2008 | Larry Johnson, KC | vs DEN | W 33-19 | 28 | 198 | 7.1 | 2 |
2008 | Clinton Portis, WAS | vs CLE | W 14-11 | 27 | 175 | 6.5 | 1 |
2008 | Chris Johnson, TEN | at KC | W 34-10 | 18 | 168 | 9.3 | 1 |
2008 | Darren McFadden, OAK | at KC | W 23-8 | 21 | 164 | 7.8 | 1 |
2008 | Steven Jackson, STL | vs DAL | W 34-14 | 25 | 160 | 6.4 | 3 |
2008 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | vs IND | L 15-18 | 29 | 160 | 5.5 | 0 |
2008 | Thomas Jones, NYJ | at OAK | L 13-16 | 24 | 159 | 6.6 | 0 |
2007 | Adrian Peterson, MIN | at CHI | W 34-31 | 20 | 224 | 11.2 | 3 |
2007 | Jamal Lewis, CLE | vs CIN | W 51-45 | 27 | 216 | 8.0 | 1 |
2007 | LaDainian Tomlinson, SD | vs OAK | W 28-14 | 24 | 198 | 8.3 | 4 |
2007 | Justin Fargas, OAK | at MIA | W 35-17 | 22 | 179 | 8.1 | 0 |
2007 | Chris Brown, TEN | at JAC | W 13-10 | 19 | 175 | 9.2 | 0 |
2007 | LaMont Jordan, OAK | at DEN | L 20-23 | 25 | 159 | 6.4 | 0 |
2006 | Tiki Barber, NYG | at ATL | W 27-14 | 26 | 185 | 7.1 | 0 |
2006 | Travis Henry, TEN | at WAS | W 25-22 | 32 | 178 | 5.6 | 1 |
2006 | Chester Taylor, MIN | at SEA | W 31-13 | 26 | 169 | 6.5 | 1 |
2006 | Willis McGahee, BUF | vs NYJ | L 20-28 | 26 | 150 | 5.8 | 0 |
2005 | LaDainian Tomlinson, SD | vs NYG | W 45-23 | 21 | 192 | 9.1 | 3 |
2005 | Willie Parker, PIT | vs TEN | W 34-7 | 22 | 161 | 7.3 | 1 |
2005 | Cadillac Williams, TB | at GB | W 17-16 | 37 | 158 | 4.3 | 0 |
2005 | Warrick Dunn, ATL | vs NYJ | W 27-14 | 24 | 155 | 6.5 | 0 |
—Ian Allan