2018 Rushing Success Rates By Team Offense and Defense

by Chase Stuart on April 2, 2019

Yesterday, I looked at rushing success rate for individual running backs. Today, I perform the same analysis for running backs, but at the team level (and ignoring runs by non-RBs).

Here’s how to read the table below. The Rams led the NFL in rushing success rate by running backs last season. Los Angeles RBs had 363 carries (after removing 3rd or 4th and long runs that did not pick up a first down) and 228 of them were successful, a 62.8% conversion rate. That was the best rate in the NFL. As noted yesterday, Todd Gurley was great (60.2%), but the other Rams running backs had even higher rates. It was truly a remarkable rushing attack in Los Angeles last year, at least until the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.

Rk	Team	Rush	Succ	Succ Rt
1	LAR	363	228	62.8%
2	NOR	384	228	59.4%
3	IND	347	200	57.6%
4	GNB	277	155	56%
5	CAR	278	155	55.8%
6	BAL	352	196	55.7%
7	KAN	287	159	55.4%
8	LAC	344	188	54.7%
9	SEA	440	239	54.3%
10	OAK	343	185	53.9%
11	DEN	348	187	53.7%
12	MIA	311	167	53.7%
13	DAL	350	181	51.7%
14	NWE	382	197	51.6%
15	PHI	340	174	51.2%
16	SFO	354	179	50.6%
17	PIT	297	149	50.2%
18	DET	356	178	50%
19	CHI	360	177	49.2%
20	CIN	302	145	48%
21	JAX	323	155	48%
22	WAS	323	155	48%
23	TEN	365	174	47.7%
24	CLE	340	162	47.6%
25	ATL	298	141	47.3%
26	MIN	292	138	47.3%
27	BUF	340	152	44.7%
28	TAM	293	130	44.4%
29	HOU	361	158	43.8%
30	NYG	316	136	43%
31	ARI	310	133	42.9%
32	NYJ	344	144	41.9%

Meanwhile, the Jets had the worst running game in the NFL, at least in terms of keeping things on schedule. That only made life tougher for Sam Darnold. It felt like the Jets were always fighting an uphill battle, and the stats bear it out. Also of note: the other New York team, the one with the star running back, had the third-worst rushing attack in the NFL last season, as measured by success rate.

What about the defenses? The Jaguars and Texans had the two best run defenses in the NFL last year, although Houston’s run defense got shredded in the playoffs. The Chiefs basically turned every running back into Todd Gurley.

Rk	Defense	Opp Rush	Opp Succ	Opp SR
1	JAX	318	131	41.2%
2	HOU	313	131	41.9%
3	NOR	276	123	44.6%
4	CAR	306	141	46.1%
5	BAL	289	134	46.4%
6	PIT	313	149	47.6%
7	DAL	315	151	47.9%
8	PHI	256	123	48%
9	MIA	405	196	48.4%
10	IND	345	167	48.4%
11	DET	326	159	48.8%
12	NYG	356	175	49.2%
13	SFO	355	175	49.3%
14	SEA	293	145	49.5%
15	NYJ	345	171	49.6%
16	CHI	294	146	49.7%
17	BUF	357	179	50.1%
18	WAS	333	167	50.2%
19	DEN	360	185	51.4%
20	CLE	357	185	51.8%
21	MIN	355	186	52.4%
22	TAM	324	170	52.5%
23	OAK	388	205	52.8%
24	GNB	353	187	53%
25	ARI	431	231	53.6%
26	LAR	330	177	53.6%
27	LAC	316	172	54.4%
28	NWE	310	169	54.5%
29	TEN	347	192	55.3%
30	CIN	366	212	57.9%
31	ATL	326	190	58.3%
32	KAN	362	221	61%

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