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One of the strengths of the 2021 Detroit Lions was the offensive rushing attack. The Lions relied on a good offensive line and a trio of skilled backs to produce the most prolific ground game in Detroit in a long time.
The Lions averaged 110.9 rushing yards per game in 2021 and did so by averaging 4.4 yards per carry. The 110.9 yards ranked the Lions 18th while the 4.4 YPC just missed cracking the top 10, tying for 11th in the NFL.
It’s been almost 20 seasons since the Lions averaged over 110 yards per game on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry. The last time the team topped each benchmark was the 2004 season. Those Lions, who finished 6-10 under Steve Mariucci as head coach, averaged 111.1 yards per game on the ground at a 4.4 YPC clip.
For those that don’t remember or (mercifully) blocked out the futile Lions’ first decade of this century, Kevin Jones had a quietly great year in 2004. Jones trucked his way to 1,133 yards and five TDs on 241 carries, a 4.7 YPC average. Shawn Bryson chipped in 264 yards at 5.3 YPC, too. Artose Pinner and Joey Harrington posted almost identical rushing stats that brought the average YPC back a little.
Detroit didn’t top 100 yards per game on the ground again until 2009. The 2013 Lions ran for 112 yards per game but averaged just 4.0 yards per carry, with Reggie Bush and Joique Bell sharing the RB duties. The 2020 Lions ran for 93.7 yards per game at 4.1 YPC.
Detroit’s running attack in 2021:
| Carries | Yards | YPC | |
| Jamaal Williams | 153 | 601 | 3.9 |
| D’Andre Swift | 151 | 617 | 4.1 |
| Craig Reynolds | 55 | 230 | 4.2 |
| Godwin Igwebuike | 18 | 118 | 6.6 |
| Jared Goff | 17 | 87 | 5.1 |
| Jermar Jefferson | 15 | 74 | 4.9 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 7 | 61 | 8.7 |
After the bye week in Week 9, Detroit averaged 116 yards per game on the ground and averaged 4.7 yards per carry in those games.