Thanks to the Cardinals’ uncooperative defense in Week 9, DeMarco Murray’s quest to be the first NFL back to rush for 100 yards in every game of a season has been quashed. That said, 100 yards — as nice and round a number as it is — is still just a number. Would it surprise you to learn that no back has rushed for even 75 yards in all of his team’s games? I mention this because the Cowboys’ Murray had 79 against Arizona, so the feat is still within reach.
Indeed, only two other backs have gotten as far as DeMarco has — 75-plus rushing yards in each of the first 10 games. They are: Terrell Davis with the 1997 Broncos and Edgerrin James with the 2005 Colts. (Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson didn’t even do it the years they broke the single-season rushing record.)
Sure, 75 yards is as arbitrary as 100, but it might be considered, at the very least, a “quality start.” Gaining that many yards week in and week out shows a fairly high level of consistency, does it not? Here are the backs who’ve come closest to doing it in every game of a season:
MOST GAMES WITH 75 OR MORE RUSHING YARDS, SEASON
| Year | Running back, Team | 75+ | Low Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Corey Dillon, Patriots | 15 | 79 vs. Bills |
| 2011 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars | 15 | 63 vs. Texans |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson, Vikings | 15 | 60 vs. Colts |
| 2008 | Adrian Peterson, Vikings | 15 | 32 vs. Saints |
| 2003 | Jamal Lewis, Ravens | 14 | 68 vs. Jaguars |
| 1985 | Marcus Allen, Raiders | 14 | 50 vs. Chiefs |
| 2012 | Alfred Morris, Redskins | 14 | 47 vs. Vikings |
| 2012 | Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks | 14 | 41 vs. Patriots |
| 1984 | Eric Dickerson, Rams | 14 | 38 vs. 49ers |
| 1983 | Eric Dickerson, Rams | 14 | 37 vs. Redskins |
| 2009 | Chris Johnson, Titans | 14 | 34 vs. Colts |
| 1992 | Barry Foster, Steelers | 14 | 25 vs. Bears |
| 1997 | Barry Sanders, Lions | 14 | 20 vs. Bucs |
| 1973 | O.J. Simpson, Bills | 13* | 55 vs. Dolphins |
*14- game season (so only once did he fall below the 75-yard threshold).
If you’re confused by Dillon’s line, let me explain: He missed a game that season. In the other 15, he rushed for 75 or more yards (gaining, on his worst day, 79 against Buffalo in Week 3. So he rushed for 75+ in every one of his games but not in every one of New England’s games.
Regardless, it’s an impressive accomplishment. Consider: The Patriots went 17-1 (postseason included) in the games Dillon played, capped by their Super Bowl win over the Eagles. And in the one they lost — 29-28 to the Dolphins — they blew an 11-point lead in the last three minutes. That’s how close he came to a perfect season. You’d have to think his utter reliability had something to do with it.
Source: pro-football-reference.com
Corey Dillon tries to sidestep the Jets’ David Barrett.
