I noticed in the postseason that the running backs didn’t play much of a role. Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch weren’t big factors, and just one 100-yard game overall (when Jonathan Stewart was helped along by busting a 59-yard run on the first play of the Seattle game). Gone, it seems, are the days of teams grinding out wins with bellcow backs handling the ball 25 times.
The solitary 100-yard rushing day in the postseason was the lowest of the postseason. Usually in the playoffs, there tends to be 4-5 of those games.
Since 2000, 53 running backs have run for more yards in a playoff game than anybody ran for in the postseason this year.
The game has changed.
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES IN POSTSEASON | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Opp | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
2000 | Lamar Smith, MIA | vs. IND | 40 | 209 | 5.2 | 2 |
2007 | Ryan Grant, GB | vs. SEA | 27 | 201 | 7.4 | 3 |
2012 | Colin Kaepernick, SF | vs. GB | 16 | 181 | 11.3 | 2 |
2003 | Priest Holmes, KC | vs. IND | 24 | 176 | 7.3 | 2 |
2013 | LeGarrette Blount, NE | vs. IND | 24 | 166 | 6.9 | 4 |
2001 | Marshall Faulk, STL | vs. PHI | 31 | 159 | 5.1 | 2 |
2001 | Charlie Garner, OAK | vs. NYJ | 15 | 158 | 10.5 | 1 |
2014 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | vs. GB | 25 | 157 | 6.3 | 1 |
2003 | Ahman Green, GB | at PHI | 25 | 156 | 6.2 | 0 |
2011 | Arian Foster, HOU | vs. CIN | 24 | 153 | 6.4 | 2 |
2005 | DeShaun Foster, CAR | at NYG | 27 | 151 | 5.6 | 0 |
2014 | LeGarrette Blount, NE | vs. IND | 30 | 148 | 4.9 | 3 |
2008 | Willie Parker, PIT | vs. SD | 27 | 146 | 5.4 | 2 |
2004 | Corey Dillon, NE | vs. IND | 23 | 144 | 6.3 | 0 |
2006 | Deuce McAllister, NO | vs. PHI | 21 | 143 | 6.8 | 1 |
2004 | Warrick Dunn, ATL | vs. STL | 17 | 142 | 8.4 | 2 |
2006 | Brian Westbrook, PHI | vs. NYG | 20 | 141 | 7.1 | 1 |
2013 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | vs. NO | 28 | 140 | 5.0 | 2 |
2012 | Arian Foster, HOU | vs. CIN | 32 | 140 | 4.4 | 1 |
2006 | Tiki Barber, NYG | at PHI | 26 | 137 | 5.3 | 0 |
2012 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | at WAS | 20 | 132 | 6.6 | 1 |
2011 | Arian Foster, HOU | at BAL | 27 | 132 | 4.9 | 1 |
2005 | Shaun Alexander, SEA | vs. CAR | 34 | 132 | 3.9 | 2 |
2012 | Ray Rice, BAL | at DEN | 30 | 131 | 4.4 | 1 |
2010 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | vs. NO | 19 | 131 | 6.9 | 1 |
2013 | Colin Kaepernick, SF | at SEA | 11 | 130 | 11.8 | 0 |
2014 | Justin Forsett, BAL | at NE | 24 | 129 | 5.4 | 0 |
2007 | Marion Barber, DAL | vs. NYG | 27 | 129 | 4.8 | 1 |
2003 | Edgerrin James, IND | at KC | 26 | 125 | 4.8 | 2 |
2002 | Michael Pittman, TB | vs. OAK | 29 | 124 | 4.3 | 0 |
2014 | DeMarco Murray, DAL | at GB | 25 | 123 | 4.9 | 1 |
2010 | James Starks, GB | at PHI | 23 | 123 | 5.3 | 0 |
2014 | Jonathan Stewart, CAR | vs. ARI | 24 | 123 | 5.1 | 1 |
2006 | Thomas Jones, CHI | vs. NO | 19 | 123 | 6.5 | 2 |
2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson, SD | vs. NE | 23 | 123 | 5.3 | 2 |
2007 | Laurence Maroney, NE | vs. SD | 25 | 122 | 4.9 | 1 |
2007 | Laurence Maroney, NE | vs. JAC | 22 | 122 | 5.5 | 1 |
2006 | Joseph Addai, IND | vs. KC | 25 | 122 | 4.9 | 1 |
2011 | Isaac Redman, PIT | at DEN | 17 | 121 | 7.1 | 0 |
2010 | Rashard Mendenhall, PIT | vs. NYJ | 27 | 121 | 4.5 | 1 |
2012 | Frank Gore, SF | vs. GB | 23 | 119 | 5.2 | 1 |
2004 | Michael Vick, ATL | vs. STL | 8 | 119 | 14.9 | 0 |
2006 | Brian Westbrook, PHI | at NO | 13 | 116 | 8.9 | 2 |
2002 | Tiki Barber, NYG | at SF | 26 | 115 | 4.4 | 1 |
2006 | Dominic Rhodes, IND | at CHI | 21 | 113 | 5.4 | 1 |
2006 | Julius Jones, DAL | at SEA | 22 | 112 | 5.1 | 0 |
2006 | Thomas Jones, CHI | vs. IND | 15 | 112 | 7.5 | 0 |
2012 | Frank Gore, SF | vs. BAL | 19 | 110 | 5.8 | 1 |
2000 | Jamal Lewis, BAL | vs. DEN | 30 | 110 | 3.7 | 2 |
2001 | Terry Allen, BAL | at MIA | 25 | 109 | 4.4 | 1 |
2013 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | vs. SF | 22 | 109 | 5.0 | 1 |
2006 | Shaun Alexander, SEA | at CHI | 26 | 108 | 4.2 | 2 |
2000 | Edgerrin James, IND | at MIA | 21 | 107 | 5.1 | 0 |
2003 | Donovan McNabb, PHI | vs. GB | 11 | 107 | 9.7 | 0 |
2001 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | at OAK | 16 | 106 | 6.6 | 0 |
2015 | Jonathan Stewart, CAR | vs. SEA | 19 | 106 | 5.6 | 2 |
2008 | Darren Sproles, SD | vs. IND | 22 | 105 | 4.8 | 2 |
2003 | Stephen Davis, CAR | vs. DAL | 26 | 104 | 4.0 | 1 |
2012 | Bernard Pierce, BAL | vs. IND | 13 | 103 | 7.9 | 0 |
2000 | Jamal Lewis, BAL | at NYG | 27 | 102 | 3.8 | 1 |
2014 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | vs. NE | 24 | 102 | 4.3 | 0 |
2002 | LaMont Jordan, NYJ | vs. IND | 20 | 102 | 5.1 | 2 |
2014 | Eddie Lacy, GB | vs. DAL | 19 | 101 | 5.3 | 0 |
2004 | Jerome Bettis, PIT | vs. NYJ | 27 | 101 | 3.7 | 1 |
2003 | Antowain Smith, NE | vs. IND | 22 | 100 | 4.5 | 0 |
—Ian Allan