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Omission of the decade

Matt Forte belonged on NFL's all-start team

Frank Gore took another step towards the Hall of Fame earlier in the week, when the league named him to its All-Decade team. But I don’t think they got it right. When I look at the numbers, I don’t see him as even one of the top 10 backs of the just-completed decade.

Gore competed in the most games at least – 153 out of a possible 160. That’s somewhat notable, I guess. But the All-Decade team should be more about greatness rather than a participation award. And Gore is getting on this list for longevity rather than anything he did on the field.

Looking at his last 10 seasons, he ranked in the top 10 statistically among running backs only once. That was back in 2012, when he put the 10th-best numbers (that’s using PPR scoring, but you can use total yards or whatever – the results will be similar). Gore ranked in the top 16 in only two other seasons.

The 49ers, recall, decided after the 2014 season – six years ago – that they were ready to move on from Gore. He was able to latch on with the Colts for three years, then they decided he was done. One year with the Dolphins, who didn’t want him back after the 2018 season. And one year with the Bills – literally the only team of the 32 last year who had any interest in giving him a roster spot.

When I’m compiling my own list of the best backs of the decade, I’m more interested in impact. Guys like Arian Foster, Todd Gurley, LeVeon Bell and Ezekiel Elliott, for example, all put together multiple seasons that were far above anything Gore did.

And I will also bring Darren Sproles into the conservation. He got the “flex” spot. As Andy was pointing out, voters are allowed to use the flex to list a running back, wide receiver or tight end that they feel is deserving. If that’s the case, Sproles is essentially the fifth running back, and he’s another guy who shouldn’t be on there.

I poked around with the numbers some, and Matt Forte is the player to me who looks like the biggest omission. He was a productive runner for the Bears and also was dynamite as a pass catcher. He caught 434 passes in the decade (only 32 fewer than Sproles).

Consider the following stab at a list of the top running backs on the decade. On this one, I’m using PPR scoring. If a running back finished a season as the No. 1 running back in the league, he gets 20 points. If he finished 2nd, he gets 19, and so on, right down to the 20th-best running back each year getting 1 point. You total up the points for the 10 seasons and see who bubbles to the top.

Three of the top six are players who wound up on the team: LeSean McCoy, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. I have no problem with those guys. Forte finishes 2nd, and Foster and Bell make the top 5.

Gore and Sproles are well down the list. (And note that this is PPR scoring, which favors a player with Sproles’ playing style.)

RUNNING BACKS OF THE DECADE
RkPlayerGRunRecTotalTDPPR/GPts
1.• LeSean McCoy14410,4343,48913,9238516.5104
2.Matt Forte1147,6293,72411,3535917.082
3.• Adrian Peterson1189,7321,53611,2687615.274
4.Arian Foster746,2702,2538,5236520.272
5.LeVeon Bell776,1253,1219,2464620.668
6.• Marshawn Lynch1087,8121,5519,3637614.764
7.Jamaal Charles886,0862,0248,1105515.763
8.Todd Gurley735,4042,0907,4947019.163
9.Ezekiel Elliott565,4051,6197,0244821.162
10.DeMarco Murray997,1742,1659,3395515.956
11.Mark Ingram1217,0251,8458,8707013.054
12.Christian McCaffrey482,9202,5235,4433922.752
13.Ray Rice634,3872,0596,4463517.851
14.Chris Johnson996,4171,4927,9093812.548
15.Alvin Kamara452,4082,0684,4763820.647
16.David Johnson623,1282,2195,3474916.846
17.Devonta Freeman773,9722,0155,9874314.544
18.Melvin Gordon674,2401,8736,1134716.743
19.• Frank Gore1539,7862,06511,8515911.739
20.Doug Martin845,3561,2076,5633211.936
21.Lamar Miller1055,8641,5657,4294011.434
22.Reggie Bush823,5501,6645,2142610.929
23.Saquon Barkley292,3101,1593,4692321.729
24.Eddie Lacy603,6149474,5612912.328
25.Danny Woodhead912,1742,6114,7853210.627
26.Maurice Jones-Drew634,2431,1625,4052513.327
27.Kareem Hunt352,3301,1183,4482818.026
28.Leonard Fournette362,6311,0093,6401917.025
29.• Darren Sproles1212,6653,9606,6254511.624
30.Steven Jackson764,7311,3966,1273012.824
31.Fred Jackson823,8132,0195,8323212.522
32.Darren McFadden784,5651,5846,1492812.721
33.Derrick Henry623,8335784,4114112.021
34.Knowshon Moreno472,6691,1963,8652714.420
35.Michael Turner483,5113813,8923413.420
36.Latavius Murray934,3351,1185,4534010.219
37.Alfred Morris1055,9354946,429348.719
38.Joe Mixon442,9318703,8012114.019
39.Aaron Jones402,2607022,9623214.319
40.Peyton Hillis552,4358523,2871910.219

Consider also Forte against Gore and Sproles. If you look at the top 8 seasons of these running backs, Forte has all but two of them. The NFL missed badly on this one. Forte should have been on the team, and it isn’t really even close.

FORTE vs. GORE vs. SPROLES
YearPlayerRunRecTotalTDPPRRk
2014Matt Forte, Chi.1,0388081,84610350.63
2013Matt Forte, Chi.1,3395941,93312341.32
2011Darren Sproles, N.O.6037101,31310277.35
2010Matt Forte, Chi.1,0695471,6169268.69
2012Frank Gore, S.F.1,2142341,44810232.810
2011Matt Forte, Chi.9974901,4874224.711
2012Matt Forte, Chi.1,0943401,4346223.411
2015Matt Forte, Chi.8983891,2877216.78
2016Frank Gore, Ind.1,0252771,3028216.212
2012Darren Sproles, N.O.2446679118216.113
2010Frank Gore, S.F.8534521,3055206.517
2015Frank Gore, Ind.9672671,2347199.414
2011Frank Gore, S.F.1,2111141,3258197.517
2013Frank Gore, S.F.1,1281411,2699196.918
2016Matt Forte, NYJ8132631,0768185.621
2013Darren Sproles, N.O.2206048244177.423
2017Frank Gore, Ind.9612451,2064173.620
2014Frank Gore, S.F.1,1061111,2175162.721
2016Darren Sproles, Phil.4384278654162.524
2015Darren Sproles, Phil.3173887056161.526
2014Darren Sproles, Phil.3293877168159.622
2010Darren Sproles, S.D.2675207872149.729
2017Matt Forte, NYJ3812936743122.442
2018Frank Gore, Mia.7221248461102.647
2019Frank Gore, Buff.599100699294.950
2018Darren Sproles, Phil.120160280361.076
2017Darren Sproles, Phil.6173134020.4101
2019Darren Sproles, Phil.662490017.0103

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index