Tag: rushing yards

Sorry, Baltimore: Steelers know exactly how to stop Derrick Henry

Pittsburgh has consistently contained Derrick Henry, with wins over him in 2017, 2020, and 2023—a testament to their resilience.

King Henry may rule in Baltimore, but he has bowed several times to the impressive display of determination and resilience that the Steel City represents. The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced a Derrick Henry-led offense three times during his career—in 2017, 2020, and 2023—and emerged victorious each time.

In 2017, the Pittsburgh defense limited Henry to 32 rushing yards on 7 attempts. In 2020—a season many consider one of the greatest by a running back, with Henry averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 378 attempts, rushing for 2,027 yards, and scoring 17 rushing touchdowns—the Steelers once again tamed the king in their Week 7 matchup with the Titans, holding him to just 75 yards on 20 attempts. When the teams met again in 2023, Pittsburgh held Henry to the same 75 rushing yards.

The Baltimore-based king is one of the greatest running backs of his era, but his lack of production speaks volumes about HC Mike Tomlin’s ability to scheme effectively and prevent him from taking over the game. While Henry is an elite player in the NFL, make no mistake: just like the Baltimore Ravens over the past few seasons, Pittsburgh will have his number once again in Week 11.

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WATCH: Alvin Kamara breaks the all-time Saints rushing yards record

WATCH: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara breaks the all-time franchise record for rushing yards

The New Orleans Saints have a new franchise leader in all-time rushing yards, and it is Alvin Kamara. Kamara came into the Week 10 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons only 12 yards away from taking the record away from his former teammate Mark Ingram, and on the first two rushes of the game was able to accrue over that amount to take it for himself.

Kamara has previously set the franchise record for rushing touchdowns and attempts, and is nearing the top five in receiving yards for the Saints where he is only 205 yards behind Jimmy Graham for sixth place. Now he accrues one more record for his long-list of achievements, and will continue to build the gap in the coming years.

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Alvin Kamara becomes all-time leading rusher in Saints history

It’s official. Alvin Kamara is now the all-time leading rusher in New Orleans Saints history after a strong start against the Atlanta Falcons:


New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara entered Week 10 trailing 11 yards behind former teammate Mark Ingram for the franchise lead in rushing yards all-time. After a strong start start by Kamara on runs of 11 and 7 yards, he was able to set the record at only 29 years old. He had previously passed Ingram in rushing touchdowns back in December of 2023 and entered the game seventh in franchise receiving yards behind Jimmy Graham.

Kamara’s recent extension will give him even more time to pull away in the lead of the records he already holds, and also give him the opportunity to chase any he may not already have. With his five Pro Bowl appearances to date, he may also be on pace for a sixth in 2024 as he has been exceptional for the Saints so far, being one of the few productive players this year for New Orleans.

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Alvin Kamara credits former teammate who chose to ‘show me the way’

As Alvin Kamara prepares to pass Mark Ingram II as the Saints’ all-time leading rusher, he reflected on how much Ingram means to him:

Barring anything unforeseen, Alvin Kamara will be the New Orleans Saints all-time leading rusher by Monday morning.

The team won’t have to try hard to get him the record. If the past two weeks are any indication, Kamara will cross that threshold on his first carry. He opened the last two games with runs of 20 or more yards.

Kamara’s only 12 yards away from toppling Mark Ingram II’s record set in 2021. He said his former teammate told him after last week’s game, “Good thing you can break it at home.” It’s something Ingram didn’t have the chance to do. He finished a home game against the Falcons just short of the record. Kamara will break the record against the Falcons at home.

The duo were teammates in 2017 and 2018 then again in 2021 and 2022. Their joint interviews were some of that era’s highlights.

Their friendship remains strong even after Ingram’s retirement, and Kamara spoke about how much Ingram meant to his career.

Kamara gives a lot of credit to Ingram for helping him become the player and professional he is today. “That was my example. Thank God he was in my room. I had an example right there, right next to me to guide me and show me the way.”

Fast forward seven years and Kamara has the opportunity to take down Ingram’s example:  “It’s definitely a full circle moment because I came in, young buck. He gave everything to me, poured into me.”

The two leading rushers in Saints history shared the backfield for four seasons. That’s the definition of passing the torch.

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Alvin Kamara moved up to second among Saints’ all-time rushing yards leaders

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara surpassed Deuce McAllister in Week 3 to rank second among the Saints’ all-time rushing yards leaders:

The New Orleans Saints’ 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 somewhat overshadowed some of the positive things that had happened, including Tyrann Mathieu tying for second place with his 35th interception among active players. It’s tough to say much was positive for the offense when they only scored a dozen points, but some individuals did pass important milestones.

One of them was Alvin Kamara surpassing Deuce McAllister in career rushing yards with the Saints, moving him up to second behind his old teammate Mark Ingram II. Kamara entered the game trailing McAllister  by 69 rushing yards, and with 87 yards on the ground, he ended the day 18 yards ahead.

Even more impressively, Kamara did this on 53 fewer rushing attempts than McAllister. He has a decent margin remaining to get up to first place, however, with Ingram sitting at exactly 6,500 rushing yards for New Orleans, while Kamara checks in at 6,114. For Kamara to reach Ingram on the same amount of rushing attempts, he would need to average around 5.1 yards per carry on his next 75 attempts, which is pretty unreasonable given his hot start to the season. With only 386 more yards to go, he could feasibly find his way to the top of the list this season however, which is a fun stat to keep an eye on throughout the year.

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Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is NFL’s fifth-leading rusher

#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ranks fifth in the NFL for rushing yards after a huge performance against the #Packers in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs offense has taken a step back in 2023 in terms of passing production, but as the team seeks to assemble a more well-rounded attack, running back Isiah Pacheco is helping to reinvent head coach Andy Reid’s strategies.

After putting together a 110-yard rushing performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, Pacheco is the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher.

This remarkable achievement is even more impressive than it may seem on the surface, given Pacheco’s relatively limited role in Reid’s offense. The veteran playcaller has seemed hesitant to stick with the ground game at times in 2023, but after Pacheco’s exceptional performance against Green Bay, things may start to change.

Patrick Mahomes hasn’t quite looked like himself lately, and Kansas City needs a dynamic threat to turn to when the passing game can’t produce. Expect Pacheco to have his number called more often as Reid seeks to fix the Chiefs’ offensive woes before January’s AFC playoffs.

Taysom Hill’s rushing success is just as effective as the ‘Tush Push’

Alvin Kamara is right. He says Taysom Hill running ability is equal to the “Tush Push,” and we’ve got the numbers to prove it:

Alvin Kamara is right. The New Orleans Saints running back gave his teammate Taysom Hill a big shoutout after their Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts, crediting Hill for his rushing ability — coming off a game in which Hill gained 63 yards off of just 9 carries, with Kamara not far behind (59 yards on 17 attempts).

In his postgame press conference, Kamara said that Hill “is the equivalent of the ‘Tush Push’. You know what’s coming and you can’t stop it.”

Also called the “Brotherly Shove” for its popularity with the Philadelphia Eagles offense in recent years, the play is a modified quarterback sneak that allows teammates to push the quarterback forward while blockers open up space ahead of them. Going into Week 9, the Eagles have converted a first down on 17 of their 21 attempts with this play (81.%). The rest of the NFL has a success rate of 72.7%, going 40-for-55.

And that brings us to Hill, whose success rate as a runner clocks in at 71.1%. Like other quarterbacks around the league who can make plays with their legs, he forces the defense to guard all eleven players, often forcing a moment’s hesitation that can make a big difference. Defenders still misjudge Hill’s speed in the open field and he’s one of the Saints’ best big-play threats as a rusher. His 20-yard touchdown run against the Colts was the longest gain on the ground for the Saints this season. They call his number for good reason.

Now, we should acknowledge something before the nerds points it out for us: these are two different success rates. The “Tush Push” numbers are only considering first down conversions. For Hill, we’re using the formula from Pro Football Reference, which considers what percentage of the yards needed were gained per carry. It’s a little more complicated, but it’s also more comprehensive, and it still gets to Kamara’s point.

But if we only want to look at Hill’s first down conversions as a runner, here they are: he’s moved the sticks 15 times on 38 attempts this season (39.5%), which trails a real “Tush Push” success rate. That’s still a solid number. He’s converted the eighth-most rushing first downs among quarterbacks this season despite his limited role; he isn’t a starter like Jalen Hurts (35 first downs), Lamar Jackson (27), Russell Wilson (18), or other league leaders. As Kamara said, teams know where the ball is going when Hill has it in his hands. And they’re still failing to stop him.

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Taysom Hill currently ranks 30th in rushing yards, ahead of at least one NFL team

Taysom Hill currently ranks 30th in rushing yards among NFL players, and 31 on his own among the league’s 32 teams:

No football player makes NFL analysts and fantasy football nerds more upset for being good at his job than Taysom Hill. The New Orleans Saints playmaker does it all — he’s taken snaps at quarterback, fullback, tight end, slot receiver, and wide receiver this season while running with the punt teams and the kick returns unit. But his best work has come as a runner. Opposing defenders don’t want to try and stop him in the open field.

Hill’s 79 rushing yards rank 30th among the 171 NFL players to log at least one carry this season, at least through the first two weeks. That’s ahead of household names like Tyjae Spears (76), Najee Harris (74), Jalen Hurts (72), Josh Jacobs (46), Deebo Samuel (46), Josh Allen (43), and Dalvin Cook (40), to name just a few.

And he’s even outpaced some teams. Well, at least one team: the Minnesota Vikings, who have gained just 69 rushing yards as a team through their first two games. Hill could keep climbing. If he plays well against the Green Bay Packers this week, he just might rank 30th or 29th among the league’s 32 teams, for at least a few hours on Sunday.

The next-worst rushing teams behind Minnesota are the Pittsburgh Steelers (96) and Las Vegas Raiders (116), who play each other on Sunday night. Hill and the Saints will kick off from Green Bay at Noon CT; if you’re curious, the Vikings will be able to work on their deficit in the same time slot while hosting the Los Angeles Chargers.

What about those matchups? Hill is going to be running against a Packers run defense which ranks third-worst in the NFL (allowing 166.5 rushing yards per game), while the Vikings will see a league-average Chargers team (who allow 105.5 yards per game on the ground, which is 18th). And the Steelers rank worst in the league (193.0) with the Raiders clocking in at sixth-worst (138.5).

The Saints could really use a stronger presence on the ground, and Hill just might be their best bet to get things going. With Jamaal Williams out with an injury and Kendre Miller returning from one, he’s a good pick to lead the team in rushing yards again this week, working against a vulnerable Packers defense.

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Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ running backs

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler had a remarkable 2022 season.

In the modern pass-first NFL, a solid running game is something of a novelty, but the Los Angeles Chargers proved in 2022 that a throwback run-and-shoot strategy can still work. Quarterback Justin Herbert has lifted Los Angeles to new heights with his work in the passing game, but veteran running back Austin Ekeler’s effort on the ground helped immensely in the Chargers’ fight for a playoff spot.

Ekeler carried the ball 204 times in 2022 for 915 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in what would be the most productive season of his career. However, his role as a receiver was an underrated part of his campaign as well, and he managed to add 722 receiving yards to his season total with five touchdowns through the air to boot.

Behind Ekeler, third-year back Joshua Kelley found modest success as a runner in 13 appearances, tallying 287 yards and two touchdowns. Though he only made one start on the season, Kelley carved out a legitimate role for himself in the Chargers’ offense and should prove to be valuable depth at the position moving forward.

Three other running backs carried the ball for Los Angeles as well, though they weren’t nearly as productive. Veteran Sony Michel, rookie Isaiah Spiller, and second-year back Larry Rountree combined for 166 yards on 67 carries over the course of the year, good for an average of just 2.2 yards per carry. None were able to find the end zone in 2022.

The last piece of the puzzle in the Chargers’ backfield is fullback Zander Horvath, who makes his money as a lead blocker. Though he isn’t often thought of as a key piece to Brandon Staley’s offensive attack, Horvath has proven to be an asset in the running game.

Los Angeles shouldn’t be too concerned about adding another running back in the offseason, though if they want to pursue depth at the position they may decide to take a flier on a late-round draft prospect. Their less-than-ideal situation relative to the salary cap will make it difficult to justify spending more than a minimal amount of money at the position and should serve to cement Ekeler’s role as the team’s lead back ahead of the 2023 season.

Seahawks rookie RB Kenneth Walker’s success due to ‘style-wise’ shift

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has recently seen even more success on the ground due to a bit of a shift in his style.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has had a stellar rookie season since his promotion to starter this year. His performance on Sunday was a major factor in Seattle’s win over the Rams. Walker finished the outing with 29 carries for 114 yards, his third contest in a row with over 100 yards logged the ground.

Coach Pete Carroll thinks he knows the secret to Walker’s recent success.

“I think in the last three weeks you’ve seen style-wise a shift a little bit,” Carroll said during his Monday radio show on Seattle Sports. “He made the adjustment we asked him to about hitting stuff and it’s just helping him, and that consistency brings out the best in our offensive line, too.”

Walker has now surpassed 1000 rushing yards on the year in just 15 games played. His Week-18 campaign was evidence the little tweak in his style is paying off in dividends.

“I thought he was really, really aggressive, man,” Carroll said. “I thought he was attacking everything. He looks so explosive. I was thrilled to see when I was looking at the film to see how explosive he looked this late in the season after run like this where he has had the ball a lot.

“He’s just getting warmed up.”

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