The Saints have been putting up some pretty insane rushing numbers – 26 TD runs last year, and 23 the previous season. In this century, only two offenses have scored more rushing touchdowns in two-year periods.
Dick Vermeil’s Kansas City teams are the leaders in this area, with a brilliant four-year run from 2002 to 2005. Lots of production from Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in there. In the best two-year period, the offense ran for 63 touchdowns in the 2003-04 seasons.
Also from the AFC West, the Chargers (with LaDainian Tomlinson running wild) racked up a ton of rushing touchdowns in the 2005-07 seasons.
But other than those teams, the Saints from the last two seasons have been the best rushing touchdown team of the century.
Alvin Kamara leads the way for them, but with him also contributing heavily in the passing game, they’ll need to work in another back. Unless some nobody emerges out of nowhere at training camp, that will be Latavius Murray. Think of him as a poor man’s Mark Ingram. Murray isn’t quite as good as Ingram, but he’s capable and should have a viable role in that offense.
| 40-PLUS RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS IN TWO YEARS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| '03-04 | Kansas City | 942 | 4,218 | 4.48 | 63 |
| '02-03 | Kansas City | 908 | 4,307 | 4.74 | 58 |
| '04-05 | Kansas City | 1016 | 4,671 | 4.60 | 57 |
| '05-06 | San Diego Chargers | 987 | 4,650 | 4.71 | 54 |
| '06-07 | San Diego Chargers | 1007 | 4,617 | 4.58 | 51 |
| '17-18 | New Orleans Saints | 915 | 4,095 | 4.48 | 49 |
| '15-16 | Buffalo Bills | 1001 | 5,062 | 5.06 | 48 |
| '08-09 | Carolina Panthers | 1029 | 4,935 | 4.80 | 48 |
| '11-12 | Carolina Panthers | 907 | 4,496 | 4.96 | 47 |
| '04-05 | San Diego Chargers | 990 | 4,257 | 4.30 | 46 |
| '04-05 | Seattle Seahawks | 987 | 4,552 | 4.61 | 46 |
| '00-01 | St. Louis Rams | 799 | 3,870 | 4.84 | 46 |
| '12-13 | New England Patriots | 993 | 4,249 | 4.28 | 44 |
| '11-12 | New England Patriots | 961 | 3,948 | 4.11 | 43 |
| '08-09 | Tennessee Titans | 1007 | 4,791 | 4.76 | 43 |
| '05-06 | Kansas City | 1033 | 4,525 | 4.38 | 43 |
| '16-17 | Dallas Cowboys | 979 | 4,566 | 4.66 | 42 |
| '08-09 | Baltimore Ravens | 1060 | 4,576 | 4.32 | 42 |
| '01-02 | Kansas City | 910 | 4,386 | 4.82 | 42 |
| '16-17 | Buffalo Bills | 979 | 4,647 | 4.75 | 41 |
| '08-09 | New Orleans Saints | 866 | 3,700 | 4.27 | 41 |
| '08-09 | New York Jets | 1029 | 4,760 | 4.63 | 41 |
| '07-08 | Tennessee Titans | 1051 | 4,308 | 4.10 | 41 |
| '06-07 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1035 | 4,932 | 4.77 | 41 |
| '05-06 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1015 | 4,500 | 4.43 | 41 |
| '02-03 | Denver Broncos | 1000 | 4,895 | 4.90 | 41 |
| '02-03 | Minnesota Vikings | 966 | 4,850 | 5.02 | 41 |
| '17-18 | Los Angeles Rams | 913 | 4,184 | 4.58 | 40 |
| '16-17 | New Orleans Saints | 848 | 3,812 | 4.50 | 40 |
| '08-09 | Miami Dolphins | 957 | 4,128 | 4.31 | 40 |
| '08-09 | New England Patriots | 979 | 4,199 | 4.29 | 40 |
| '03-04 | San Diego Chargers | 942 | 4,331 | 4.60 | 40 |
| '02-03 | Atlanta Falcons | 958 | 4,317 | 4.51 | 40 |
—Ian Allan