Two weeks in, I notice quarterbacks are running more. More yards and more touchdowns. Cam Newton has run for multiple touchdowns in both of his games. Kyler Murray and Dak Prescott have both run for 3 TDs. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen haven’t gone crazy yet, but you know that they will.
No doubt things will even out. It’s a long season. But with each team having played two of its 16 games, the numbers are startling.
If teams continue at their current pace, quarterbacks will score 48 more rushing touchdowns than they ever have before in a season. And they’ll finish with over 1,400 more rushing yards.
With Jackson and Allen leading the way, the last two seasons have been the most run-heavy in league history, including going over 8,000 yards in 2018. But quarterbacks currently are on pace to finish with 9,432.
It’s a different game. The immobile pocket quarterbacks seem to be declining.
Below are the rushing stats for quarterbacks since the merger. For this year’s numbers, they’re projected out (as if teams continue to play as they have for the first two weeks, which won’t happen).
| RUSHING BY QUARTERBACKS SINCE MERGER | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 1970 | 698 | 3,320 | 4.8 | 26 |
| 1971 | 765 | 3,249 | 4.2 | 48 |
| 1972 | 921 | 4,595 | 5.0 | 62 |
| 1973 | 897 | 3,770 | 4.2 | 41 |
| 1974 | 847 | 3,705 | 4.4 | 49 |
| 1975 | 783 | 3,532 | 4.5 | 41 |
| 1976 | 944 | 4,191 | 4.4 | 59 |
| 1977 | 917 | 3,381 | 3.7 | 47 |
| 1978 | 1,015 | 3,549 | 3.5 | 37 |
| 1979 | 981 | 3,935 | 4.0 | 52 |
| 1980 | 1,069 | 4,263 | 4.0 | 58 |
| 1981 | 979 | 3,676 | 3.8 | 45 |
| 1982 | 569 | 2,001 | 3.5 | 25 |
| 1983 | 1,068 | 4,143 | 3.9 | 42 |
| 1984 | 1,138 | 4,124 | 3.6 | 47 |
| 1985 | 1,138 | 3,917 | 3.4 | 42 |
| 1986 | 1,130 | 4,306 | 3.8 | 43 |
| 1987 | 1,225 | 5,100 | 4.2 | 55 |
| 1988 | 1,293 | 4,894 | 3.8 | 60 |
| 1989 | 1,278 | 5,287 | 4.1 | 52 |
| 1990 | 1,304 | 5,912 | 4.5 | 43 |
| 1991 | 1,097 | 3,864 | 3.5 | 34 |
| 1992 | 1,274 | 4,868 | 3.8 | 33 |
| 1993 | 1,247 | 4,273 | 3.4 | 28 |
| 1994 | 1,173 | 3,685 | 3.1 | 39 |
| 1995 | 1,239 | 4,056 | 3.3 | 49 |
| 1996 | 1,385 | 4,391 | 3.2 | 44 |
| 1997 | 1,434 | 5,177 | 3.6 | 54 |
| 1998 | 1,419 | 5,459 | 3.8 | 49 |
| 1999 | 1,537 | 5,951 | 3.9 | 51 |
| 2000 | 1,749 | 7,616 | 4.4 | 60 |
| 2001 | 1,695 | 6,569 | 3.9 | 59 |
| 2002 | 1,618 | 6,713 | 4.1 | 73 |
| 2003 | 1,394 | 4,899 | 3.5 | 61 |
| 2004 | 1,402 | 4,957 | 3.5 | 39 |
| 2005 | 1,385 | 4,560 | 3.3 | 44 |
| 2006 | 1,440 | 5,214 | 3.6 | 44 |
| 2007 | 1,305 | 4,001 | 3.1 | 40 |
| 2008 | 1,316 | 4,441 | 3.4 | 48 |
| 2009 | 1,336 | 4,292 | 3.2 | 45 |
| 2010 | 1,420 | 5,659 | 4.0 | 46 |
| 2011 | 1,572 | 6,071 | 3.9 | 66 |
| 2012 | 1,586 | 6,577 | 4.1 | 66 |
| 2013 | 1,707 | 7,373 | 4.3 | 57 |
| 2014 | 1,647 | 6,646 | 4.0 | 47 |
| 2015 | 1,630 | 6,568 | 4.0 | 61 |
| 2016 | 1,522 | 6,003 | 3.9 | 65 |
| 2017 | 1,650 | 7,124 | 4.3 | 66 |
| 2018 | 1,871 | 8,086 | 4.3 | 71 |
| 2019 | 1,825 | 7,698 | 4.2 | 80 |
| 2020 | 2,128 | 9,432 | 4.4 | 128 |
—Ian Allan