![]() In 1962, Jim Taylor did something that no other running back has ever done. No running back in the 75 years since has come within two yards per carry of approaching Feathers' record.Ģ72 carries, 1474 yards, 19 TD, 5.4 avg 22 rec, 106 yards, 0 TD 5 fum 14 GAMES He averaged an unheard-of 8.4 yards per attempt. Feathers' 1004 rushing yards topped three other NFL teams that season. He was the NFL's first 1000-yard rusher, and the only player until Steve Van Buren rushed for 1008 yards in 1947. The Bears scored over 20 points in each of their first nine games, a feat that, when adjusted to today's standards, is equivalent to a team scoring 45 points per game.įeathers rushed for 1004 yards on 119 carries. It worked, as the Giants scored an incredible 27 points in the fourth quarter to win, 30-13.įeathers helped the Bears score an NFL-record 286 points, which was more than the five worst NFL teams combined. Diehard football fans know of the 1934 NFL championship as the "Sneaker Game," in which the Giants, who were losing 10-3 at halftime, switched from cleats to sneakers to account for the mud on the field. Even better than the 2007 New England Patriots.Īnd just like the 2007 New England Patriots, the Bears ran the table in the regular season-13 games, 13 wins-before losing to (who else?) the New York Giants in the NFL championship. Two other players are future first-ballot Hall of Famers.ġ1) Beattie Feathers, Chicago Bears, 1934:ġ19 carries, 1004 yards, 8 TD, 8.4 avg 6 rec, 174 yards, 1 TD 0 fum? 10 GAMESįeathers played for arguably the greatest team in NFL history-a team better than the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Five of these playershave already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with two players having multiple seasons on this list. The following list includes the best of the best, the greatest of the greatest, the most elite of the elite-the 10 greatest seasons by a running back in NFL history, with one season earning honorable mention. ![]() No coach wants to gamble with odds like that. There would be over a 25 percent chance that Dickerson would fumble the football during the drive. Imagine needing your running back to carry the ball seven times on a fourth-quarter drive to seal a victory. A team needs to be able to trust its running back to hold onto the football at all costs.ĭickerson fumbled the football one out of every 27 carries in 1984. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns. ![]() In 1984, Eric Dickerson rushed 379 times for a still-standing record of 2105 yards. And it's the quickest way for the National Football League's single-season rushing holder to fail to qualify for this list. It's the easiest way for a rookie to get cut from a team. Unlike passer ratings, where the league average practically doubled between the 1940's and now, yards per attempt has always been relatively consistent-between 3.9 and 4.2 yards per attempt.įumbles are the worst thing a running back can do. The best thing about yards per carry is that averages have been relatively unchanged over time. Good running backs average about four and a half yards per carry, and average running backs average around four yards per carry. The best running backs average in the National Football League over five yards per carry. Well, my two favorite statistics for running backs are yards per carry and fumbles. So what should a running back be rated on? ![]() Why? Because the Lions' had a 234-pound fullback named Tommy Vardell who carries the ball just 18 times but scored six touchdowns! Should Barry Sanders be penalized for his lack of touchdowns? No, because he consistently put his team in position to score. In 1998, Sanders carried 343 times for 1494 yards, but scored just four touchdowns. The Lions' legendary running back averaged 5.0 yards per carry throughout his Hall of Fame career, but scored 'only' 99 touchdowns in 10 seasons. Only Marshall Faulk's 2000 campaign and LT's recordbreaking season of 2006 found their way onto my list. Three of the five seasons-Emmitt Smith in 1995, Priest Holmes in 2003, and Shaun Alexander in 2005-failed to make my list. ![]() However, rushing touchdowns are slightly overrated-maybe even more than slightly overrated. The single season touchdown record has been broken five times in my lifetime, and will probably be broken again in the near future. Nowadays, the majority of teams produce a 1000-yard rusher, and within the next 10 to 15 years, I predict that a half dozen or more teams yield two 1000-yard rushers. There was a time when, even factoring in the increases in games played during the season, a 1000-yard rusher was considered impressive. Seasonal rushing totals have increased, partly due to a stronger emphasis on powerful offensive lines. Throughout history, the position of running back has changed significantly. ![]()
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