More NFL teams use a committee approach at running back. That’s the generally accepted theory. But it’s not really backed up by the numbers. That is, we can’t look back at the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and show that running backs we’re putting up much better numbers.
Take, for example, the 5th-best running back of each season since the league moved to a 16-game schedule in 1978. That’s 41 years, and I’m looking at the No. 5 running back in each of those seasons (using PPR scoring). If running backs are being spelled more, you might think that the backs nowadays would put up lesser numbers.
But that’s not really supported by the stats.
Ezekiel Elliott (the 5th-best running back last year) finished with 2,001 yards and 9 TDs. Since 1978, only three other running backs have finished with better stats while being the 5th-best back of their season.
Most of the other No. 5 backs of the last 10 years have been pretty average in comparison with the other years. In general, they’ve been a little below average, but it hasn’t been glaring.
In the chart below, backs from the last 10 years have a black dot in front of their name. Those from the last five years have two black dots.
No surprise that the two least productive backs come from 1982 and 1987. Those seasons were both shortened by labor disputes.
5TH-BEST RUNNING BACKS SINCE THE MERGER (PPR) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Rec | Run | Total | TD | PPR |
2002 | Tiki Barber, NYG | 69 | 597 | 1,387 | 1,984 | 11 | 333.4 |
2006 | Frank Gore, S.F. | 61 | 485 | 1,695 | 2,180 | 9 | 333.0 |
2003 | Deuce McAllister, N.O. | 69 | 516 | 1,641 | 2,157 | 8 | 332.7 |
2018 | •• Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 77 | 567 | 1,434 | 2,001 | 9 | 331.1 |
2004 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | 41 | 245 | 1,697 | 1,942 | 14 | 319.2 |
2005 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 44 | 337 | 1,506 | 1,843 | 14 | 312.3 |
2000 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | 70 | 508 | 1,204 | 1,712 | 11 | 312.1 |
1998 | Garrison Hearst, S.F. | 39 | 535 | 1,570 | 2,105 | 9 | 305.5 |
1983 | Curt Warner, Sea. | 42 | 325 | 1,449 | 1,774 | 14 | 303.4 |
1981 | Wilbert Montgomery, Phi. | 49 | 521 | 1,402 | 1,923 | 10 | 301.3 |
2001 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | 53 | 320 | 1,513 | 1,833 | 10 | 301.2 |
1995 | Curtis Martin, N.E. | 30 | 261 | 1,487 | 1,748 | 15 | 296.8 |
1984 | Ottis Anderson, St.L. | 70 | 611 | 1,174 | 1,785 | 8 | 296.5 |
2016 | •• DeMarco Murray, Ten. | 53 | 377 | 1,287 | 1,664 | 12 | 295.9 |
1992 | Lorenzo White, Hou. | 57 | 641 | 1,226 | 1,867 | 8 | 291.7 |
1994 | Ricky Watters, S.F. | 66 | 719 | 877 | 1,596 | 11 | 291.6 |
1985 | Gerald Riggs, Atl. | 33 | 267 | 1,719 | 1,986 | 10 | 291.6 |
2017 | •• Melvin Gordon, LAC | 58 | 476 | 1,105 | 1,581 | 12 | 288.1 |
1979 | Joe Washington, Balt. | 82 | 750 | 884 | 1,634 | 7 | 287.4 |
1986 | James Brooks, Cin. | 54 | 686 | 1,087 | 1,773 | 9 | 285.3 |
2009 | • Frank Gore, S.F. | 52 | 406 | 1,120 | 1,526 | 13 | 282.6 |
1996 | Emmitt Smith, Dall. | 47 | 249 | 1,204 | 1,453 | 15 | 282.3 |
1999 | Stephen Davis, Was. | 23 | 111 | 1,405 | 1,516 | 17 | 278.6 |
2010 | • Adrian Peterson, Min. | 36 | 341 | 1,298 | 1,639 | 13 | 277.9 |
2008 | Thomas Jones, NYJ | 36 | 207 | 1,312 | 1,519 | 15 | 277.9 |
2014 | •• Arian Foster, Hou. | 38 | 327 | 1,246 | 1,573 | 13 | 277.6 |
2013 | • Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 36 | 316 | 1,257 | 1,573 | 14 | 277.3 |
2011 | • Darren Sproles, N.O. | 86 | 710 | 603 | 1,313 | 10 | 277.3 |
2012 | • Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 23 | 196 | 1,590 | 1,786 | 12 | 273.6 |
1980 | Walter Payton, Chi. | 46 | 367 | 1,460 | 1,827 | 7 | 270.7 |
1988 | Greg Bell, LAR | 24 | 124 | 1,212 | 1,336 | 18 | 265.6 |
2007 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 19 | 268 | 1,341 | 1,609 | 13 | 257.9 |
1997 | Marshall Faulk, Ind. | 47 | 471 | 1,054 | 1,525 | 8 | 247.5 |
1989 | James Brooks, Cin. | 37 | 306 | 1,239 | 1,545 | 9 | 245.5 |
1978 | Tony Galbreath, N.O. | 74 | 582 | 635 | 1,217 | 7 | 237.7 |
1991 | Rodney Hampton, NYG | 43 | 283 | 1,059 | 1,342 | 10 | 237.2 |
2015 | •• DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. | 40 | 367 | 907 | 1,274 | 11 | 235.4 |
1993 | Jerome Bettis, LAR | 26 | 244 | 1,429 | 1,673 | 7 | 235.3 |
1990 | Albert Bentley, Ind. | 71 | 664 | 556 | 1,220 | 6 | 229.0 |
1987 | Eric Dickerson, LAR-Ind. | 18 | 171 | 1,288 | 1,459 | 6 | 199.9 |
1982 | Pete Johnson, Cin. | 31 | 267 | 622 | 889 | 7 | 161.9 |
—Ian Allan