Which NFL running back had the best season (min. 2,000 rush yards)

[iowajerms]

Only 7 players have rushed 2,000 or more rushing yards in a single season. Which one do you think is most impressive? This does not include playoff games.

1973 - OJ Simpson (Bills) - 1973 leaders

Spoiler

14 games
332 carries
2,003 rushing yards
12 rushing TDs
143.1 rushing Y/G
4.2 rushing AVG

6 receptions
70 receiving yards
0 receiving TDs

8 fumbles

1984 - Eric Dickerson (Rams) - 1984 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
379 carries
2,105 rushing yards
14 rushing TDs
131.8 rushing Y/G
4.5 rushing AVG

21 receptions
139 receiving yards
0 receiving TDs

14 fumbles

1997 - Barry Sanders (Lions) - 1997 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
335 carries
2,053 rushing yards
11 rushing TDs
128.3 rushing Y/G
6.1 rushing AVG

33 receptions
305 receiving yards
3 receiving TDs

3 fumbles

1998 - Terrell Davis (Broncos) - 1998 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
392 carries
2,008 rushing yards
21 rushing TDs
125.5 rushing Y/G
5.1 rushing AVG

25 receptions
217 receiving yards
2 receiving TDs

2 fumbles

2003 - Jamal Lewis (Ravens) - 2003 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
387 carries
2,066 rushing yards
14 rushing TDs
129.1 rushing Y/G
5.3 rushing AVG

26 receptions
205 receiving yards
0 receiving TDs

8 fumbles

2009 - Chris Johnson (Titans) - 2009 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
358 carries
2,006 rushing yards
14 rushing TDs
125.4 rushing Y/G
5.5 rushing AVG

50 receptions
503 receiving yards
2 receiving TDs

3 fumbles

2012 - Adrian Peterson (Vikings) - 2012 leaders

Spoiler

16 games
348 carries
2,097 rushing yards
12 rushing TDs
131.1 rushing Y/G
6.0 rushing AVG

40 receptions
217 receiving yards
1 receiving TDs

4 fumbles

 

[gowazzu02]

Great topic!!!! I personally lived and remember every one but OJ and ED. (i was born in 83) My heart says Barry just cause he's Barry. But Peterson doing it after shredding his knee is absurd.

 

[PDay8810]

OJ followed by Lewis.

I think OJ was in 14 games and Lewis just took a beating.

 

[iowajerms]

I voted Barry Sanders, but Adrian Peterson's was amazing and I could change it to him.

 

[obxyankeefan]

I voted homer, but truthfully to me it is a toss up between AP and OJ

 

[Davis_Mike]

Davis - 21 TDs 5.1 YPC & only 2 fumbles. And a SB win to top it off.

 

[cdumler7]

Well went full homer of course but I do think he has a great case as his wasn't just about the yards but he also lead all of the 2000 yard rushers in touchdowns with 23 with the next closest being 16.

 

[iowajerms]

OJ may have had 2 less games, but he only had 2 less carries than Barry Sanders

 

[PDay8810]

OJ may have had 2 less games, but he only had 2 less carries than Barry Sanders

Thanks....doesn't change my vote.

 

[iowajerms]

Well went full homer of course but I do think he has a great case as his wasn't just about the yards but he also lead all of the 2000 yard rushers in touchdowns with 23 with the next closest being 16.

and 2 fumbles makes it very impressive.

But TD has the most carries among these running backs, had a very strong OL in front of him (I still remember the commercial where they had the DEN OL stop the Running of the Bulls), and a strong team around him.

But I do agree he is impressive, but Barry had a horrible OL. I'm sure once the Lions got into the redzone, they just put all those defenders in the box. AP had a decent line, but a QB that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn that season.

 

[cdumler7]

and 2 fumbles makes it very impressive.

But TD has the most carries among these running backs, had a very strong OL in front of him (I still remember the commercial where they had the DEN OL stop the Running of the Bulls), and a strong team around him.

But I do agree he is impressive, but Barry had a horrible OL. I'm sure once the Lions got into the redzone, they just put all those defenders in the box. AP had a decent line, but a QB that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn that season.

No I agree the carries is what brings him down a bit. I would argue though that the rest of these guys are more speedsters where Davis and I would put Lewis in this category were the more ground and pound type guys meaning less runs to the outside and less big chunk runs that help with the yards per carry stat.

Again I did say it was a homer vote as really all of these guys had very special seasons. If I was voting objectively I might actually lean towards Barry Sanders as you are right the guy had junk around him and was pretty much the entire team. Teams went into games knowing all they had to do was stop Barry Sanders and they still couldn't do it.

 

[iowajerms]

No I agree the carries is what brings him down a bit. I would argue though that the rest of these guys are more speedsters where Davis and I would put Lewis in this category were the more ground and pound type guys meaning less runs to the outside and less big chunk runs that help with the yards per carry stat.

Again I did say it was a homer vote as really all of these guys had very special seasons. If I was voting objectively I might actually lean towards Barry Sanders as you are right the guy had junk around him and was pretty much the entire team. Teams went into games knowing all they had to do was stop Barry Sanders and they still couldn't do it.

Chris Johnson and Eric Dickerson were speedsters for sure. Not fully sure on OJ. AP may have been a speedster, but he was able to be a power runner if he needed. He had many broken tackles that year.

I will agree that TD and Jamal Lewis were closer to a full back than a speed RB. Sanders was slow (compared to NFL running backs in the 90s) but he was the most agile RB of all time. Sanders was basically his own style.

I will give TD credit. If you look at 1997 leaders, TD was right there with Sanders in a lot of stats.

 

[PDay8810]

I went w/ TD. The SB win + the League MVP award in '98. While the others all had great respective seasons for this poll the others didn't pick up that SB trophy like TD did.

""This does not include playoff games""

 

[Rock Strongo]

easy

barry sanders.

 

[Wamu]

""This does not include playoff games""

OH SHIT!!!!! I skipped right down to the stats & didn't even catch that. Thanks for pointing that out. Gonna change my vote.

 

[tducey]

Davis

 

[ducky]

The guy who had this guy handing him the football:

The fact that Peterson was coming off the knee injury, had no one else on offense to keep defenses honest, and had a buffoon at QB who couldn't throw the ball more than 10 yards down the field makes it the most impressive to me. But I am of course EXTREMELY biased!

Not only did Peterson make a horrific offense average but he helped make a horrific defense average by helping control the clock and keep that defense off the field.

It is that season that had me hoping the Vikes would keep Peterson this offseason in hopes he comes back from last year with the same fire he had that year to prove his doubters wrong.

That is what my heart tells me anyway. My head wants me to pick the '97 Sanders season. We will see another Adrian Peterson again at some point. We will never see another Sanders.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Sanders IMO. Yah OJ did it in 14 games but look at the carries. Give the guy the rock enough and he'll get there... 4.2 average? C'mon...

AP deserves an honorable mention (and perhaps Johnson) because they did it in a passing league. The counter argument to that is teams are building their defenses these days to cover pass oriented offenses... might make them a bit weaker against the run.

 

[jarntt]

I think some of your YPC are off.

AP was so juiced up that year that people got bigger and faster just by looking at him...

 

[iowajerms]

I think some of your YPC are off.

AP was so juiced up that year that people got bigger and faster just by looking at him...

Thanks. I was looking at wrong years. Here are the ones I was wrong on.

OJ Simpson - 6.0
Eric Dickerson - 5.6
Chris Johnson - 5.6