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NFL running backs should still be setting 1,000-yard benchmark

By Loyal Ricks Jr

IRVINE, CA - JULY 29: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams hands the ball off to Cam Akers #3 during training camp at University of California Irvine on July 29, 2022 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
IRVINE, CA - JULY 29: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams hands the ball off to Cam Akers #3 during training camp at University of California Irvine on July 29, 2022 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Relying on the ground game has become a dying trend in the NFL. What can fans expect from the new wave of premiere tailbacks? Is rushing for 1,000 an achievable goal?

It is fair to say the game of football has seen its share of innovations during the past few seasons. Instead of finding yards in between the tackles, offensive coordinators have shifted their focus to making big plays in the passing game.

Record-breaking single-season rushing performances like LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson’s are now few and far between. As the game continues to change, what will become the next benchmark goal for rushers across the league?

Is the 1,000-yard rushing mark still achievable for NFL RBs?

Before the demand for aerial attacks spiked, offensive coordinators and their running backs continued the tradition of maintaining a dominant rushing force.

Benefits such as winning the time of possession battle and balanced play-calling have been the formula for winning teams since the league’s birth.

Quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have made the most of the recent change, but backs who used to scamper for yards are searching for other ways to make an impact.

As players use their ingenuity to produce on the gridiron, statistical expectations for running backs continue to fall.

At the end of the 2013 season, thirteen rushers produced more than 1,000 yards on the ground – only seven rushers accomplished this in 2022. A decrease in rushers’ average yards per carry has contributed to the lack of 1,000-yard rushers as well.

Five yards per carry was an incredible statistic for most rushers in previous seasons. Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy were two of the seven backs that averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 2013.

If you analyze the league’s top rushers from last season, only two of the top 20 producers achieved the old gold standard.

Is rushing the football essential in achieving success?

Winning is the top priority for most front offices around the league. While running backs struggled to find success last season, quarterbacks and receivers carried the workload.

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp both finished at the top of the total yards category for their positions.

Los Angeles’ leading rusher ranked 18th in total yards rushing.

Running the football has its perks, but offenses are shifting in another direction. While receivers like Davante Adams benefit from more downfield opportunities, other receivers are used in other ways. As the game continues to change, so will the way teams utilize the run.

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