[OC] The 3,000-yard rushing club
There has been a lot of talk about Saquon Barkley’s 2,000-yard rushing season (8th best ever), and deservedly so. In my opinion this is the single most impressive feat of the 2024 NFL season. Derrick Henry had a season for the ages as well. His 1,921 yards is the 11th most ever, and would be talked about much more if it didn’t happen during the same season as Barkley’s 2K. Oh…and Derrick Henry is 30 years old...he now holds the single-season rushing record for a player age 30+. But what’s even more rare than an individual 2K season? A team 3,000-yard rushing season, and the Ravens and Eagles both accomplished this feat in 2024.
Something something 17-game season - OK we got that out of the way, it is what it is. We know it’s a thing that exists, and that context is a part of all of this.
There have been only eight teams in history to run for 3,000 yards in a season. There are a few paths to get there, but the 2024 Eagles and Ravens took a similar path—an all-time great RB season paired with a quarterback who has a heavy emphasis on running the ball. (the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens make up 38% of the list)
Another way to get there is by doing whatever the hell the 1948 49ers were doing in the AAFC, which is having no 1,000-yard rushers, but having a bunch of guys run for 200-900 yards (7 players total) on their way to a 12-2 season. Oddly that 12-2 49ers team didn’t make the playoffs because the Otto Graham-led Browns went 14-0 in their division.
The 1978 Patriots (11-5) got there, by being the only team in history to have four players rush for 500 or more yards with their three-headed monster at RB combined with a great scrambling QB in Steve Grogan.
Another strange team on this list is the 2022 Bears. Seven of the eight teams had winning records, which makes sense, game scripts call for more running when a team has the lead. But the 3-14 Bears said F them game scripts; we’re gonna fall behind, we’re gonna run for a historic number of yards, and we’re gonna lose doing it.
Here are all the teams in the 3,000-yard club:
