It’s a big one in Keystone state today. Both the Steelers and Eagles are closing in on division titles, while Saquon Barkley remains in contention to run down a pair of the league’s most acclaimed individual records.
Eric Dickerson, most notably, holds the single-season rushing record, with 2,105 yards. Barkley can eclipse that mark by averaging 121 in his final four games.
Additionally, Chris Johnson holds the yards-from-scrimmage record, up at 2,509. Barkley can get that one if he averages 155 rushing/receiving yards in his final four.
Both records will look a lot more attainable if Barkley can get out of today’s game (against a good Steelers defense) with a decent stat line. Philadelphia’s final three games are all against defenses ranking 27th or lower against the run – Commanders, Cowboys, Giants. (It will make for compelling theater if Barkley breaks those records in Week 18 against his former team.)
At the same time, it’s easier to reach 2,000 yards now than it was in the past. They’re playing more game. O.J. Simpson got his historic 2,003 yards in only 14 games. Dickerson set the record in 16. Barkley’s now getting a 17th game to work with.
If we want more of an apples-to-apples comparison, we can instead look at yards per game. Barkley is currently on pace to become the 15th back to average over 120 rushing yards in a season. He’s also on pace to become just the fifth to do it while averaging over 6 yards per carry.
But I see 13 backs who’ve started at least 10 games and averaged more rushing yards than Barkley. That includes two backs who’ve done it twice – Simpson and Jim Brown. Of these seasons, Simpson’s work in 1973 is the most notable; he averaged 10 more yards per game than any other player.
| RUNNING BACKS AVERAGING 120 YARDS PER GAME | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Yd/G |
| 1973 | O.J. Simpson, Buff. | 14 | 332 | 2,003 | 6.0 | 12 | 143.1 |
| 1963 | Jim Brown, Cle. | 14 | 291 | 1,863 | 6.4 | 12 | 133.1 |
| 1977 | Walter Payton, Chi. | 14 | 339 | 1,852 | 5.5 | 14 | 132.3 |
| 1984 | Eric Dickerson, LAR | 16 | 379 | 2,105 | 5.6 | 14 | 131.6 |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 16 | 348 | 2,097 | 6.0 | 12 | 131.1 |
| 1975 | O.J. Simpson, Buff. | 14 | 329 | 1,817 | 5.5 | 16 | 129.8 |
| 2003 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 16 | 387 | 2,066 | 5.3 | 14 | 129.1 |
| 1980 | Earl Campbell, Hou. | 15 | 373 | 1,934 | 5.2 | 13 | 128.9 |
| 1997 | Barry Sanders, Det. | 16 | 335 | 2,053 | 6.1 | 11 | 128.3 |
| 1958 | Jim Brown, Cle. | 12 | 257 | 1,527 | 5.9 | 17 | 127.3 |
| 2020 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 16 | 378 | 2,027 | 5.4 | 17 | 126.7 |
| 1998 | Terrell Davis, Den. | 16 | 392 | 2,008 | 5.1 | 21 | 125.5 |
| 2009 | Chris Johnson, Ten. | 16 | 358 | 2,006 | 5.6 | 14 | 125.4 |
| 2024 | Saquon Barkley, Phil. | 13 | 266 | 1,623 | 6.1 | 11 | 124.8 |
| 2003 | Clinton Portis, Den. | 13 | 290 | 1,591 | 5.5 | 14 | 122.4 |
—Ian Allan