LeSean McCoy left the Bills prior to last season looking as if he had lost a step. But when Shady arrived, it certainly appeared Buffalo got a steal in trading for him. His production for the team was nothing short of excellent.
From 2015-2018, McCoy helped the Bills establish themselves as one of the primer rushing teams in the NFL. Of all those years, Football Outsiders via ESPN pegged one of McCoy’s years with the Bills as one of the best of the best of the past decade of NFL football.
In 2016, McCoy had a Bills career-high 1,267 rushing yards, 14 total touchdowns and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. For that effort, Shady’s 2016 season was tabbed as the ninth-best running back season of the 2010s using Football Outsiders DYAR formula (Defensive-adjusted yards above replacement).
Here’s how Shady’s stellar season is broken down:
9. LeSean McCoy, 2016 Bills (456 DYAR)
The 28-year-old McCoy was outstanding in his second year with Buffalo, averaging 5.4 yards per carry (third among qualifying running backs) and 7.1 yards per reception with an 88% catch rate. He also scored 14 touchdowns: 13 on the ground, 1 through the air. But what really pumps this season up is a very difficult schedule of opposing run defenses, adjustments for which add nearly 100 rushing DYAR to McCoy’s total. Half of McCoy’s games came against teams ranked seventh or higher in run defense DVOA, with AFC East foes the Jets and Patriots both in the top five.
The Bills certainly got the better of that trade for McCoy, which only cost Buffalo linebacker Kiko Alonso. Interestingly, McCoy actually appears on this list twice. At No, 7, his 2013 season with the Eagles appears on the rankings as well.
In regard to his Bills seasons, especially early on, one has to mention is offensive line. That grouping was anchored by two Pro Bowl and excellent talents in Richie Incognito and Eric Wood. They played their part, too.
Leading this list overall is a very recent season, Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey from 2019. He edges out Texans running back Adrian Foster from 2010 and Saints running back Alvin Kamara from 2017, respectively.
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