Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both scored double-digit touchdowns last year. That’s kind of cool – rare to see two running backs on the same team scoring that many touchdowns in the same season. But even harder to keep that kind of an arrangement going.
Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule, eight other teams have had two running backs score 10-plus touchdowns in the same season (this includes both running and receiving touchdowns). Most recently it happened in 2008, with Tennessee and Carolina (both teams, by the way, having a rookie running back – Jonathan Stewart and Chris Johnson).
But of those previous 16 running backs, only four came back the next year and scored double-digit touchdowns. (I’ve got them in bold).
On this chart below the “Next” number is the number of touchdowns in the following season.
HIGH-SCORING RUNNING BACK DUOS | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | TD | Next |
1979 | Chuck Muncie, N.O. | 11 | 6 |
1979 | Tony Galbreath, N.O. | 10 | 5 |
1985 | James Brooks, Cin. | 12 | 9 |
1985 | Larry Kinnebrew, Cin. | 10 | 9 |
1985 | Earnest Byner, Clev. | 10 | 4 |
1985 | Kevin Mack, Clev. | 10 | 10 |
1988 | Ickey Woods, Cin. | 15 | 2 |
1988 | James Brooks, Cin. | 14 | 9 |
1991 | Leroy Hoard, Clev. | 11 | 1 |
1991 | Kevin Mack, Clev. | 10 | 6 |
2004 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 15 | 7 |
2004 | Larry Johnson, K.C. | 11 | 21 |
2008 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 20 | 7 |
2008 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 10 | 11 |
2008 | LenDale White, Tenn. | 15 | 2 |
2008 | Chris Johnson, Tenn. | 10 | 16 |
2016 | • Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 13 | ? |
2016 | • Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 11 | ? |
—Ian Allan