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Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:36 pm
by RyanChristiansen
The average career length for a running back is around two-and-a-half years. Using that yardstick as the measurement for the Average Running Back Career, who had the best career?
If you set the bar to at least 60 yards per game during the streak, the best running back is Emmitt Smith. From November 17, 1991, through January 31, 1993, Emmitt Smith rushed for 2,919 yards on 652 attempts (4.48 y/a) in 27 games. No other player was as productive as Smith. Given he still holds the NFL rushing record, this should come as no surprise.
If you set the bar to at least 50 yards per game during the streak, the best running back is Priest Holmes. From October 14, 2001, through November 30, 2003, Priest Holmes rushed for 4,107 yards on 837 carries (4.91 y/a) in 38 games. No other player was as productive during any streak of games, and Holmes' streak most closely approximates an Average Running Back Career.
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 2:14 pm
by Ronfitch
Jim Brown, September 15, 1963 - October 31, 1965: 756 carries, 4200 yards, 5.55 average per carry and 116+ yards per game over 36 games (35 regular season plus one post-season) for all of 1963 and '64 plus first half of '65.
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 4:18 pm
by JuggernautJ
Ronfitch wrote:Jim Brown, September 15, 1963 - October 31, 1965: 756 carries, 4200 yards, 5.55 average per carry and 116+ yards per game over 36 games (35 regular season plus one post-season) for all of 1963 and '64 plus first half of '65.
I was going to post something like "I must not be getting the subtleties of the question because the answer is always Jim Brown." Thanks for providing the data.
To my knowledge Brown is still the only back in NFL history to average over 100 yards a game for a career... correct?
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:57 pm
by RyanChristiansen
Ronfitch wrote:Jim Brown, September 15, 1963 - October 31, 1965: 756 carries, 4200 yards, 5.55 average per carry and 116+ yards per game over 36 games (35 regular season plus one post-season) for all of 1963 and '64 plus first half of '65.
On October 27, 1963, Jim Brown rushed for only 40 yards, which put him below the threshold I was looking at. Holmes still has the longest streak of games over 50 yards per game.
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:09 pm
by Ronfitch
RyanChristiansen wrote:Ronfitch wrote:Jim Brown, September 15, 1963 - October 31, 1965: 756 carries, 4200 yards, 5.55 average per carry and 116+ yards per game over 36 games (35 regular season plus one post-season) for all of 1963 and '64 plus first half of '65.
On October 27, 1963, Jim Brown rushed for only 40 yards, which put him below the threshold I was looking at. Holmes still has the longest streak of games over 50 yards per game.
Ah, got it.
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:33 am
by conace21
RyanChristiansen wrote:Ronfitch wrote:Jim Brown, September 15, 1963 - October 31, 1965: 756 carries, 4200 yards, 5.55 average per carry and 116+ yards per game over 36 games (35 regular season plus one post-season) for all of 1963 and '64 plus first half of '65.
On October 27, 1963, Jim Brown rushed for only 40 yards, which put him below the threshold I was looking at. Holmes still has the longest streak of games over 50 yards per game.
That makes it much more clear. "50 yards per game" suggests an average, not a minimum.
Re: Did Priest Holmes have the best RB "career"?
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 3:56 pm
by BD Sullivan
The time frame for Brown coincides with Blanton Collier's first three seasons as head coach of the Browns.