Factoid
The regular season is over, and Jamaal Charles and Chester Taylor are linked together. Charles averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which is the most by any running back since the 1970 merger; Taylor averaged only 2.4, which is the lowest by any back in the same 40-year time period.
Both figures on based on players running the ball at least 100 times. Plenty of backs have been above or below those figures each year while handling the ball just a few times. And running backs only; Michael Vick averaged 8.5 yards per attempt while scrambling for over 1,000 yards four years ago.
But both of these backs managed remarkable numbers. In averaging 6.4 yards per pop, Charles finished with the highest average for a 1,000-yard rusher since Jim Brown in 1963.
As for Taylor, he’s 31 and it looks like he’s simply done. He doesn’t have enough speed or burst. He probably won’t be in the league next year.
Below are the leaderboards for the last 20 years, showing how they stack up against other running backs with at least 100 attempts.
HIGHEST YARDS PER CARRY, 1990-2010
Att Yds Avg Year
230 1467 6.4 2010 Jamaal Charles (K.C.)
335 2053 6.1 1997 Barry Sanders (Det.)
103 613 6.0 2007 Jerious Norwood (Atl.)
150 874 5.8 1996 Napoleon Kaufman (Oak.)
331 1883 5.7 1994 Barry Sanders (Det.)
166 941 5.7 2006 Maurice Jones-Drew (Jac.)
238 1341 5.6 2007 Adrian Peterson (Minn.)
182 1025 5.6 2008 Derrick Ward (NYG)
273 1515 5.5 2008 DeAngelo Williams (Car.)
273 1508 5.5 2002 Clinton Portis (Den.)
LOWEST YARDS PER CARRY, 1990-2010
Att Yds Avg Year
112 267 2.4 2010 Chester Taylor (Chi.)
112 277 2.5 1999 Natrone Means (S.D.)
104 269 2.6 2008 Chris Perry (Cin.)
106 279 2.6 1991 Heath Sherman (Phil.)
121 321 2.7 1992 Rodney Culver (Ind.)
197 529 2.7 2002 Jonathan Wells (Hou.)
101 276 2.7 1997 Larry Centers (Ariz.)
215 589 2.7 1993 Harold Green (Cin.)
143 399 2.8 2008 Tim Hightower (Ariz.)
136 383 2.8 1999 Byron Hanspard (Atl.)
—Ian Allan
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