By Dave Brown
Pass, pass, pass, it's all we hear about anymore.
I bet the vast majority of football fans could not tell me how many players have rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season since the year 2000. Well, I can answer that for you.
There have been 87 players that have rushed for over 1,000 yards 210 times since the start of the year 2000.
Running back by committee seems to be a popular concept in the NFL now, and that might detract yards from a running back that would carry the load. Three teams have had two players gain over 1,000 yards on the ground in the same year since the start of 2000, The New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers.
In 2009, the Panthers had DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart both gain over 1,000 yards. In 2008 the Giants had Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs both break the 1,000 yard barrier, and in 2006, the Falcons had Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick do it.
Michael Vick is the only quarterback in the NFL to rush for over 1,000 yards since the start of the 2000 season, and only once, in 2006.
Look for Cam Newton in the future. In his rookie year last season, he ran for 706 yards and 14 TDs on 126 attempts, an average of 5.6 yards per carry. I think the only way Newton doesn't break the 1,000 yard barrier in the future is if the Panthers tell him not to run as much. In 2006, when Vick ran for over 1,000 yards, he only carried the ball 123 times and had a rushing average of 8.4 yards per carry.
On the bottom of the spectrum, there are a few teams that stand out. The Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions have all had players with over 1,000 yards rushing three times since the start of the 2000 season, and each team has had two different players eclipse the 1,000 yard mark.
I didn't have to look hard to see the tie-breaker here, the Detroit Lions are the only team in the NFL without a 1,000 yard rusher since the start of the 2005 season.
All of those are cool facts, but not what this is about.
