It has long been established that, on average, winning teams rush for more yards than losing teams. That’s because, among other reasons, the winning team usually has the lead late in the game, causing the winning team to run more frequently and the losing team to run less frequently. Rushing attempts (and therefore, yards) are highly correlated with winning, which is one of the reasons I first started calculating Game Scripts data.

As a result, teams tend to average more rushing yards in victories than defeats. And I’m not breaking any news here when I say that this tenet holds up at the individual player level, too. From 1950 to 2018, there were 69 players who (i) rushed for at least 2,500 yards in games their teams won and also (ii) rushed for at least 2,500 yards in games their teams lost.

And 67 of those players averaged more rushing yards per game in wins than in losses. That, of course, is what you would expect. Earnest Byner is the most extreme player in this regard: in games his team won, Byner averaged 52.2 rushing yards per game; in games his team lost, Byner averaged 25.7 rushing yards per game. And it’s not just the Byners of the world: Hall of Famers with different styles and from different eras — Marshall Faulk (86.0 rushing yards per game in wins, 52.0 in losses), Earl Campbell (107.4, 63.4), O.J. Simpson (112.0, 69.3) and Thurman Thomas (77.6, 44.5) to name a few — have large splits in rushing averages in wins and losses.

But today’s post is about Byner’s teammate on the ’91 Redskins, Gerald Riggs. He is one of just two players (Don Perkins, 56.2, 59.8) in this group who averaged fewer rushing yards per game in wins (60.0) than in losses (66.2). That should be shocking to you as a reader, given that the average running back will have about 40% more rushing yards in wins than losses. So does this mean Riggs actually was a better running back when his team lost the game?

The short answer is, no. Riggs, like every other running back, rushed for more yards when his team won than when his team lost, all else being equal. It’s that last part, though, that is the tricky part.

Riggs had two dominant rushing seasons where he averaged 99 and 107 rushing yards per game: 1984 and 1985. In those two seasons, his Falcons went just 7-24 in the games he played.

Riggs had four strong seasons where he averaged between 50 and 90 rushing yards per game: 1986 to 1989. In those four years, his teams went 20-28-1 in games he played (and I will be ignoring the one tie game for the rest of this article).

Riggs also had four years — two at the beginning of his career and two at the end — where he was a backup and averaged under 50 rushing yards per game. In those four seasons (’82, ’83, ’90, and ’91) his teams went 31-18. Notably, this includes his time on the ’91 Redskins — who went 14-2 and for whom Riggs played every game — when he averaged a career low 15.5 rushing yards per game and retired after the season (after scoring a pair of touchdowns in the Super Bowl, no less).

Regular readers of this site and those familiar with Simpson’s Paradox can surely see what’s coming. During his stud running back days, Riggs played on bad teams that produced just 12% of his career wins but 34% of his career losses. During his days as a solid starter, Riggs played on teams that produced 34% of his career wins and 40% of his career losses. And during his days as a backup, Riggs played on good teams that produced 53% of his career wins and just 26% of his career losses. His time as the third-string running back behind Byner and Ricky Ervins on one of the best teams of all time produced 24% of his career wins but just 3% of his career losses.

So when we look at his career, of course Riggs rushed for more yards in losses than in wins: broadly speaking, he was a reserve in a lot of the games his team won and the center of the offense in many of the games his teams lost.

In 1984, Riggs rushed for 99 yards per game on a 3-12 Falcons team in the games he played. In Atlanta’s three wins, he rushed for 137 yards per game; in the 12 losses, he averaged 90 rushing yards per game. That’s perfectly normal, rushing for significantly more yards per game in wins than losses.

In 1991, Riggs rushed for 16 yards per game on maybe the best team of all time. In wins, he rushed for 17 yards per game, and in losses, he rushed for 2 yards per game. That’s perfectly normal, too: rushing for significantly more yards per game in wins than losses.

But here’s the catch: what if we remove the ’84 and ’91 seasons from Riggs’ career entirely? By removing two years where Riggs rushed for significantly more yards per game in wins than in losses, what happens to his career average? Well, it would mean Riggs would have rushed for 69 yards per game in wins and … 63 yards per game in losses. This, of course, is the heart of Simpson’s Paradox: because of the different sizes of the groups, the results are reversed when we combine the data. It’s counter-intuitive, because Riggs looks better for his career in wins than in losses only after we remove two years where he did much worse in wins than in losses!

The table below shows Riggs’s career stats by season, and his per-season rushing statistics in wins and losses. The final right column shows how many more rushing yards per game Riggs averaged in losses than in wins each year. As you can see, while this number is a positive 6.2 for his career, in all but two seasons, this number was negative, meaning Riggs averaged more rushing yards per game in wins than losses:

This is what Simpson’s Paradox is all about, and this may be my new favorite example: the 1991 season really deflates his career averages, but it hits his “wins” statistics 8x as powerfully as his “losses” statistics.

And there’s even an easy story to tell about his 1989 season, which looks like a big outlier. After all, Riggs averaged a mediocre 50 rushing yards per game in wins and a superstar-producing 108.5 yards per game in wins. So what happened? In week 2, Riggs rushed for a whopping 211 yards in a win against the Eagles…. except it wasn’t a win; the Redskins led 20-0 early and 37-28 with less than three minutes left in the game, but the Eagles scored two last-minute touchdowns to steal the game and turn this into a great rushing effort in a loss (in part because of Riggs’ game-changing fumble). Had this been a win, Riggs would have averaged 69.0 rushing yards in wins that season, and 71.0 rushing yards per game in losses. And that is only because Riggs lost playing time as the season went along: he was a part-time player by December, when Washington went 4-0 but Riggs averaged only 41 rushing yards per game.

The general rule is that all players average more rushing yards in wins than in losses. And when that’s not true, well, it probably still is true: you just need to figure out how Simpson’s Paradox is mucking up your data.

This year, the Giants are averaging 6.35 net yards per pass and 4.18 yards per carry. That’s below-average on both counts, as New York ranks 20th in both categories.

This year, the Dolphins are averaging 6.53 net yards per pass and 4.30 yards per carry. Miami ranks 15th in NY/A and 17th in YPC.

And yet the Giants are averaging more yards per play this year than Miami! How is that possible — after all, plays are just rushes or passes (including sacks), and the Dolphins are averaging more yards per pass and yards per rush. But New York has gained 5.70 yards per play this year, while Miami is averaging only 5.58 yards per play.

The answer, of course, is Simpson’s Paradox. We can also see an example of Simpson’s Paradox with Chicago. This year, the Bears are averaging 6.65 net yards per pass and 4.45 yards per carry. That’s above-average in both categories, as Chicago ranks 12th in both metrics. And yet the Bears rank below the Giants in yards per play, at just 5.65.

This is because the Giants pass a lot, and passes are more effective at gaining yards (even net of sacks) than rushes. The Giants have passed on a league-high 70% of plays, while Miami has passed on 58% of plays and the Bears just 54% of plays.

This happens with a few teams every year. The Jaguars are averaging 6.02 net yards per pass, 4.25 yards per rush, and 5.41 yards per play. The Redskins are averaging 6.12 net yards per pass and 4.33 yards per rush, and yet… Washington is only averaging 5.34 yards per play, a lower average than Jacksonville. That’s because the Jags have passed on 66% of plays, while the Redskins have passed on only 56% of plays. [continue reading…]

I have some bigger thoughts on the Trent Richardson trade, but I want to first address a statistic I’ve seen cited frequently the past few days. You’ve probably heard some variation on the following, perhaps first reported by ESPN:

Since the start of 2012 with Richardson on the field, Browns quarterbacks were sacked on 4.8 percent of dropbacks. With Richardson off the field, Browns quarterbacks were sacked on 9.4 percent of dropbacks.

Colts quarterbacks have been sacked on 6.2 percent of dropbacks since the start of last season, the ninth-highest rate in the league.

I’ll assume the numbers are accurate, but stats like that don’t mean anything out of context. The conclusion isn’t spelled out, but the reader is asked to connect the dots: Richardson is good at pass protection and Indianapolis could use an upgrade in that department, so this is another reason to like the trade for the Colts. But when is Richardson most likely to be off the field? In obvious passing situations, which happens to be the most likely time the Browns would be sacked.

Brandon Weeden and other Cleveland quarterbacks were sacked 36 times last year and 11 times in the first two games of 2013. First, we should note that Thaddeus Lewis started in week 17 last year against the Steelers — his only start of the year, and the only game Richardson has missed in his pro career. He was sacked four times on 36 dropbacks, an 11.1% rate. So let’s throw that game out, since nobody cares about Lewis’ sack rate.

According to NFLGSIS, Richardson was not on the field for 22 of the 43 sacks of Browns quarterbacks over the last year and two games. But the fine print is the real story: only five of those 22 sacks came on 1st or 2nd down, only seven came when Cleveland had the lead, and only three of those sacks occured when the Browns needed fewer than seven yards for a first down. Take a look:
[continue reading…]

Yesterday, I noted that Adrian Peterson is averaging nearly two more yards per rush in losses than wins. He’s also averaging a nearly identical number of rushing yards per game in wins and losses.

As you’re about to see, that’s pretty rare. We all know that wins are correlated with rushing yards, so it should come as no surprise that running backs generally gain more rushing yards in wins than in losses.

I looked at all games, including playoffs, from 1960 to 2011, for all players with at least 3,000 rushing yards over that time period. The table below lists the following information for each player:

— His first year (or 1960, if he played before 1960) and his last year (or 2011, if still active)
— All the franchises he played for (which you can search for in the search box)
— His number of career wins, and his career rush attempts, rushing yards, rushing yards per carry, and rushing yards per game in wins
— His number of career losses, and his career rush attempts, rushing yards, rushing yards per carry, and rushing yards per game in losses

The table is sorted by rushing yards per game in wins. Again, for players like Jim Brown or Peterson, they are included but only their stats from 1960 to 2011 are shown. The table only shows the top 50 players, but the search feature works for the entire table, which includes 281 players. In addition, you can click on the drop arrow and change the number of rows shown.

As always, the table is fully sortable. If you click twice on the far right column, you see the career leaders in rushing yards per game in losses. You probably aren’t surprised to see Barry Sanders at the top, but the presence of the running back formerly known as Dom Davis up there is a bit surprising. Steven Jackson is one of the few players who have averaged over 70 rushing yards per game in losses, which jives with the sixth post in Football Perspective history. In addition, Jackson (at least through 2011) and LaDainian Tomlinson form an interesting example of Simpson’s Paradox: Jackson has a higher career rushing yards per game average in both wins (93.9 to 89.9) and losses (71.1 to 63.2), while Tomlinson has the higher career average overall (78.6 to 78.3).

Rk	Player	Years	Teams	Pos	W	Rsh_W	Yd_W	YPC_W	Yd/G_W	L	Rsh_L	Yd_L	YPC_L	Yd/G_L
1	Jim Brown	1960--1965	cle	FB	55	1176	6590	5.6	119.8	25	384	1706	4.44	68.2
2	Terrell Davis	1995--2001	den	RB	58	1415	6867	4.85	118.4	28	444	1880	4.23	67.1
3	Barry Sanders	1989--1998	det	RB	75	1670	8526	5.11	113.7	84	1483	7129	4.81	84.9
4	Eric Dickerson	1983--1993	ram-clt-rai-atl	RB	74	1776	8411	4.74	113.7	78	1368	5572	4.07	71.4
5	O.J. Simpson	1969--1979	buf-sfo	RB	43	950	4818	5.07	112	92	1442	6351	4.4	69
6	Earl Campbell	1978--1985	oti-nor	RB	50	1209	5409	4.47	108.2	70	1113	4418	3.97	63.1
7	Adrian Peterson	2007--2011	min	RB	38	792	4002	5.05	105.3	38	685	3018	4.41	79.4
8	Chris Johnson	2008--2011	oti	RB	36	772	3776	4.89	104.9	28	426	1941	4.56	69.3
9	Clinton Portis	2002--2010	den-was	RB	58	1281	6051	4.72	104.3	59	1019	4086	4.01	69.3
10	Arian Foster	2009--2011	htx	RB	20	428	2077	4.85	103.9	16	282	1305	4.63	81.6
11	Emmitt Smith	1990--2004	dal-crd	RB	135	3036	13198	4.35	97.8	108	1722	6743	3.92	62.4
12	Jamal Lewis	2000--2009	rav-cle	RB	74	1653	7193	4.35	97.2	63	1019	3840	3.77	61
13	Walter Payton	1975--1987	chi	RB	113	2460	10975	4.46	97.1	86	1558	6383	4.1	74.2
14	Larry Johnson	2003--2011	kan-cin-was-mia	RB	40	813	3842	4.73	96.1	43	627	2413	3.85	56.1
15	Edgerrin James	1999--2009	clt-crd-sea	RB	99	2251	9469	4.21	95.6	62	995	3629	3.65	58.5
16	Billy Sims	1980--1984	det	RB	30	603	2861	4.74	95.4	32	554	2378	4.29	74.3
17	Curtis Martin	1995--2005	nwe-nyj	RB	96	2235	9134	4.09	95.1	82	1465	5762	3.93	70.3
18	Frank Gore	2005--2011	sfo	RB	47	939	4422	4.71	94.1	55	743	3366	4.53	61.2
19	Jamaal Charles	2008--2011	kan	RB	16	218	1504	6.9	94	34	290	1605	5.53	47.2
20	Steven Jackson	2004--2011	ram	RB	37	769	3473	4.52	93.9	80	1388	5688	4.1	71.1
21	Shaun Alexander	2000--2008	sea-was	RB	73	1506	6607	4.39	90.5	59	850	3410	4.01	57.8
22	LaDainian Tomlinson	2001--2011	sdg-nyj	RB	104	2048	9346	4.56	89.9	76	1257	4806	3.82	63.2
23	Corey Dillon	1997--2006	cin-nwe	RB	72	1391	6460	4.64	89.7	86	1347	5289	3.93	61.5
24	Rudi Johnson	2001--2008	cin-det	RB	41	901	3672	4.08	89.6	52	629	2363	3.76	45.4
25	Eddie George	1996--2004	oti-dal	RB	90	2094	7863	3.76	87.4	60	977	3354	3.43	55.9
26	Wilbert Montgomery	1977--1985	phi-det	RB	55	1016	4766	4.69	86.7	54	652	2513	3.85	46.5
27	Fred Taylor	1998--2010	jax-nwe	RB	89	1588	7674	4.83	86.2	72	1075	4634	4.31	64.4
28	Jamal Anderson	1994--2001	atl	RB	37	767	3189	4.16	86.2	47	632	2423	3.83	51.6
29	Gale Sayers	1965--1971	chi	RB	29	426	2492	5.85	85.9	36	510	2122	4.16	58.9
30	Barry Foster	1990--1994	pit	RB	35	704	2997	4.26	85.6	23	275	1230	4.47	53.5
31	Curt Warner	1983--1990	sea-ram	RB	55	1133	4704	4.15	85.5	48	636	2389	3.76	49.8
32	Matt Forte	2008--2011	chi	RB	35	661	2985	4.52	85.3	27	395	1398	3.54	51.8
33	Cookie Gilchrist	1962--1967	buf-den-mia	FB	34	625	2871	4.59	84.4	31	372	1381	3.71	44.5
34	William Andrews	1979--1986	atl	RB	43	749	3609	4.82	83.9	42	586	2439	4.16	58.1
35	Marshall Faulk	1994--2005	clt-ram	RB	99	1774	8307	4.68	83.9	89	1227	4574	3.73	51.4
36	John Henry Johnson	1960--1966	pit-oti	FB-HB	32	589	2682	4.55	83.8	38	435	1718	3.95	45.2
37	Tony Dorsett	1977--1988	dal-den	RB	121	2237	10137	4.53	83.8	68	1001	3985	3.98	58.6
38	Jerome Bettis	1993--2005	ram-pit	RB	111	2333	9274	3.98	83.5	93	1345	5062	3.76	54.4
39	Priest Holmes	1997--2007	rav-kan	RB	61	1093	5077	4.65	83.2	49	729	3316	4.55	67.7
40	Ricky Watters	1992--2001	sfo-phi-sea	RB	91	1823	7552	4.14	83	63	963	3720	3.86	59
41	Jim Nance	1965--1973	nwe-nyj	RB	30	571	2455	4.3	81.8	62	680	2585	3.8	41.7
42	Robert Smith	1993--2000	min	RB	63	1039	5146	4.95	81.7	41	517	2262	4.38	55.2
43	George Rogers	1981--1987	nor-was	RB	53	1009	4326	4.29	81.6	45	772	3128	4.05	69.5
44	Jim Taylor	1960--1967	gnb-nor	FB	81	1468	6576	4.48	81.2	31	401	1582	3.95	51
45	Travis Henry	2001--2007	buf-oti-den	RB	36	672	2906	4.32	80.7	52	816	3180	3.9	61.2
46	Willie Parker	2004--2009	pit	RB	55	977	4436	4.54	80.7	27	403	1413	3.51	52.3
47	Ray Rice	2008--2011	rav	RB	45	792	3627	4.58	80.6	22	274	1194	4.36	54.3
48	Maurice Jones-Drew	2006--2011	jax	RB	45	776	3616	4.66	80.4	50	722	3286	4.55	65.7
49	Deuce McAllister	2001--2008	nor	RB	50	913	4017	4.4	80.3	47	543	2240	4.13	47.7
50	Thurman Thomas	1988--2000	buf-mia	RB	130	2373	10378	4.37	79.8	71	843	3138	3.72	44.2
51	Terry Allen	1991--2001	min-was-nwe-nor-rav	RB	69	1303	5504	4.22	79.8	65	890	3263	3.67	50.2
52	Fred Jackson	2007--2011	buf	RB	25	393	1980	5.04	79.2	40	424	1814	4.28	45.4
53	Jonathan Stewart	2008--2011	car	RB	28	414	2217	5.36	79.2	35	314	1295	4.12	37
54	Franco Harris	1972--1984	pit-sea	RB	136	2553	10682	4.18	78.5	55	776	2924	3.77	53.2
55	John Riggins	1971--1985	nyj-was	RB	103	2048	8088	3.95	78.5	79	1119	4260	3.81	53.9
56	Tiki Barber	1997--2006	nyg	RB	80	1277	6269	4.91	78.4	80	1054	4632	4.39	57.9
57	Lydell Mitchell	1972--1980	clt-sdg-ram	RB	58	1103	4472	4.05	77.1	49	645	2280	3.53	46.5
58	Ricky Williams	1999--2011	nor-mia-rav	RB	81	1486	6221	4.19	76.8	70	967	3868	4	55.3
59	Greg Bell	1984--1990	buf-ram-rai	RB	35	596	2641	4.43	75.5	50	684	2676	3.91	53.5
60	Marshawn Lynch	2007--2011	buf-sea	RB	31	592	2337	3.95	75.4	43	568	2338	4.12	54.4
61	Stephen Davis	1996--2006	was-car-ram	RB	72	1234	5422	4.39	75.3	63	807	3101	3.84	49.2
62	LeSean McCoy	2009--2011	phi	RB	28	427	2100	4.92	75	20	225	996	4.43	49.8
63	Domanick Williams	2003--2005	htx	RB	12	226	898	3.97	74.8	28	544	2297	4.22	82
64	Hoyle Granger	1966--1972	oti-nor	RB	27	443	2013	4.54	74.6	38	358	1530	4.27	40.3
65	DeAngelo Williams	2006--2011	car	RB	38	557	2833	5.09	74.6	43	451	2277	5.05	53
66	Rodney Hampton	1990--1997	nyg	RB	56	1048	4122	3.93	73.6	51	826	2969	3.59	58.2
67	Ahman Green	1998--2009	sea-gnb-htx	RB	89	1416	6545	4.62	73.5	63	759	3181	4.19	50.5
68	Earnest Jackson	1983--1988	sdg-phi-pit	RB	31	544	2279	4.19	73.5	44	515	1888	3.67	42.9
69	Lawrence McCutcheon	1973--1981	ram-den-sea-buf	RB	75	1243	5462	4.39	72.8	38	422	1693	4.01	44.6
70	Freeman McNeil	1981--1992	nyj	RB	71	1132	5109	4.51	72	75	782	3364	4.3	44.9
71	Rashard Mendenhall	2008--2011	pit	RB	37	646	2643	4.09	71.4	17	228	954	4.18	56.1
72	Warrick Dunn	1997--2008	tam-atl	RB	98	1618	6996	4.32	71.4	92	1167	4371	3.75	47.5
73	Cedric Benson	2005--2011	chi-cin	RB	50	925	3568	3.86	71.4	45	647	2446	3.78	54.4
74	Natrone Means	1993--1999	sdg-jax	RB	55	1004	3917	3.9	71.2	39	549	1948	3.55	49.9
75	Gary Brown	1991--1999	oti-sdg-nyg	RB	40	619	2841	4.59	71	35	424	1476	3.48	42.2
76	Michael Turner	2004--2011	sdg-atl	RB	76	1130	5391	4.77	70.9	38	376	1457	3.88	38.3
77	Christian Okoye	1987--1992	kan	RB	44	780	3120	4	70.9	35	447	1771	3.96	50.6
78	Karim Abdul-Jabbar	1996--2000	mia-cle-clt	RB	33	651	2339	3.59	70.9	31	388	1188	3.06	38.3
79	Garrison Hearst	1993--2004	crd-cin-sfo-den	RB	76	1210	5385	4.45	70.9	55	681	2840	4.17	51.6
80	Joe Morris	1982--1991	nyg-cle	RB	63	1103	4460	4.04	70.8	50	448	1678	3.75	33.6
81	Johnny Johnson	1990--1994	crd-nyj	RB	24	428	1685	3.94	70.2	47	618	2393	3.87	50.9
82	Thomas Jones	2000--2011	crd-tam-chi-nyj-kan	RB	88	1541	6154	3.99	69.9	99	1262	4950	3.92	50
83	Chuck Muncie	1976--1984	nor-sdg	RB	51	817	3554	4.35	69.7	65	854	3664	4.29	56.4
84	Chuck Foreman	1973--1980	min-nwe	RB	77	1324	5318	4.02	69.1	38	426	1409	3.31	37.1
85	Ottis Anderson	1979--1992	crd-nyg	RB	94	1630	6489	3.98	69	80	1033	4217	4.08	52.7
86	Larry Csonka	1968--1979	mia-nyg	RB	91	1387	6223	4.49	68.4	64	691	2587	3.74	40.4
87	Randy McMillan	1981--1986	clt	RB	20	282	1365	4.84	68.3	66	695	2484	3.57	37.6
88	John Brockington	1971--1977	gnb-kan	RB	36	637	2456	3.86	68.2	54	651	2308	3.55	42.7
89	Ryan Grant	2007--2011	gnb	RB	45	670	3052	4.56	67.8	22	313	1291	4.12	58.7
90	Willis McGahee	2004--2011	buf-rav-den	RB	66	1042	4415	4.24	66.9	61	859	3359	3.91	55.1
91	Ron A. Johnson	1969--1975	cle-nyg	RB	37	629	2426	3.86	65.6	41	533	1729	3.24	42.2
92	Joe Cribbs	1980--1988	buf-sfo-mia	RB	55	834	3580	4.29	65.1	49	523	1961	3.75	40
93	Marcus Allen	1982--1997	rai-kan	RB	145	2221	9433	4.25	65.1	91	1068	4157	3.89	45.7
94	Antowain Smith	1997--2005	buf-nwe-oti-nor	RB	75	1248	4872	3.9	65	61	674	2559	3.8	42
95	Larry Brown	1969--1976	was	RB	69	1171	4441	3.79	64.4	35	464	1780	3.84	50.9
96	Kevin Jones	2004--2008	det-chi	RB	22	326	1415	4.34	64.3	41	469	1761	3.75	43
97	Floyd Little	1967--1975	den	RB	45	738	2880	3.9	64	67	820	3187	3.89	47.6
98	Wendell Tyler	1977--1986	ram-sfo	RB	71	931	4510	4.84	63.5	46	550	2443	4.44	53.1
99	Ricky Bell	1977--1982	tam-sdg	RB	25	397	1588	4	63.5	38	462	1591	3.44	41.9
100	Abner Haynes	1960--1967	kan-den-mia-nyj	HB	48	601	3046	5.07	63.5	60	439	1592	3.63	26.5
101	Cadillac Williams	2005--2011	tam-ram	RB	33	505	2094	4.15	63.5	50	568	1993	3.51	39.9
102	Clem Daniels	1960--1968	kan-rai-sfo	RB	51	689	3236	4.7	63.5	49	401	1669	4.16	34.1
103	Pete Johnson	1977--1984	cin-sdg-mia	RB	64	1028	3995	3.89	62.4	50	538	1879	3.49	37.6
104	Leonard Russell	1991--1996	nwe-den-ram-sdg	RB	31	549	1934	3.52	62.4	51	615	2039	3.32	40
105	Bam Morris	1994--1999	pit-rav-chi-kan	RB	39	605	2423	4	62.1	37	444	1636	3.68	44.2
106	Rueben Mayes	1986--1993	nor-sea	RB	36	555	2233	4.02	62	40	314	1262	4.02	31.6
107	Errict Rhett	1994--2000	tam-rav-cle	RB	36	635	2213	3.49	61.5	42	539	1930	3.58	46
108	Anthony Thomas	2001--2007	chi-dal-nor-buf	RB	39	628	2395	3.81	61.4	49	431	1532	3.55	31.3
109	James Wilder	1981--1990	tam-det	RB	32	481	1964	4.08	61.4	86	1123	4160	3.7	48.4
110	Joseph Addai	2006--2011	clt	RB	62	943	3804	4.03	61.4	26	310	1270	4.1	48.8
111	Marion Butts	1989--1995	sdg-nwe-oti	RB	50	766	3067	4	61.3	55	601	2262	3.76	41.1
112	Matt Snell	1964--1972	nyj	RB	42	641	2573	4.01	61.3	35	435	1849	4.25	52.8
113	Delvin Williams	1974--1980	sfo-mia	RB	51	745	3115	4.18	61.1	47	588	2525	4.29	53.7
114	James Brooks	1981--1992	sdg-cin-cle-tam	RB	83	976	5060	5.18	61	86	767	3118	4.07	36.3
115	Kevin Mack	1985--1993	cle	RB	51	753	3109	4.13	61	54	645	2438	3.78	45.1
116	Mike Thomas	1975--1980	was-sdg	RB	52	796	3163	3.97	60.8	28	319	1148	3.6	41
117	Neal Anderson	1986--1993	chi	RB	68	992	4130	4.16	60.7	49	604	2315	3.83	47.2
118	Paul Lowe	1960--1969	sdg-kan	HB	66	767	3998	5.21	60.6	28	228	1075	4.71	38.4
119	DeShaun Foster	2003--2008	car-sfo	RB	47	689	2833	4.11	60.3	33	323	1138	3.52	34.5
120	Napoleon Kaufman	1995--2000	rai	RB	46	512	2760	5.39	60	46	467	2036	4.36	44.3
121	Mike Garrett	1966--1973	kan-sdg	RB	62	823	3712	4.51	59.9	41	477	1703	3.57	41.5
122	Dave Hampton	1969--1976	gnb-atl-phi	RB	36	547	2144	3.92	59.6	55	583	2296	3.94	41.7
123	Leroy Kelly	1964--1973	cle	RB	92	1268	5465	4.31	59.4	49	538	2145	3.99	43.8
124	Sam Cunningham	1973--1982	nwe	RB	53	800	3133	3.92	59.1	52	615	2430	3.95	46.7
125	Duce Staley	1997--2006	phi-pit	RB	66	923	3881	4.2	58.8	52	621	2368	3.81	45.5
126	Charlie Garner	1994--2004	phi-sfo-rai-tam	RB	69	830	4035	4.86	58.5	82	784	3503	4.47	42.7
127	Mike Rozier	1985--1991	oti-atl	RB	45	654	2622	4.01	58.3	52	560	2022	3.61	38.9
128	Brian Westbrook	2002--2010	phi-sfo	RB	80	971	4660	4.8	58.3	49	529	2206	4.17	45
129	Mark van Eeghen	1974--1983	rai-nwe	RB	96	1393	5561	3.99	57.9	41	432	1714	3.97	41.8
130	Julius Jones	2004--2010	dal-sea-nor	RB	48	684	2775	4.06	57.8	48	636	2472	3.89	51.5
131	Marion Barber	2005--2011	dal-chi	RB	59	783	3407	4.35	57.7	44	414	1524	3.68	34.6
132	James Stewart	1995--2002	jax-det	RB	54	828	3108	3.75	57.6	53	681	2895	4.25	54.6
133	Eddie Lee Ivery	1979--1986	gnb	RB	35	407	2014	4.95	57.5	34	244	891	3.65	26.2
134	Ken Willard	1965--1974	sfo-crd	RB	69	1003	3955	3.94	57.3	58	579	1963	3.39	33.8
135	Mike Pruitt	1976--1986	cle-buf-kan	RB	67	944	3840	4.07	57.3	76	921	3605	3.91	47.4
136	Marv Hubbard	1969--1977	rai-det	RB	66	767	3773	4.92	57.2	24	225	867	3.85	36.1
137	Gerald Riggs	1982--1991	atl-was	RB	62	894	3544	3.96	57.2	72	1110	4690	4.23	65.1
138	Ronnie Brown	2005--2011	mia-phi	RB	43	596	2448	4.11	56.9	50	586	2522	4.3	50.4
139	Adrian Murrell	1993--2003	nyj-crd-was-dal	RB	44	637	2494	3.92	56.7	72	765	2862	3.74	39.8
140	Don Perkins	1961--1968	dal	FB-HB	55	758	3107	4.1	56.5	51	754	3079	4.08	60.4
141	Lamar Smith	1994--2003	sea-nor-mia-car	RB	54	811	3043	3.75	56.4	58	565	2030	3.59	35
142	Mike Anderson	2000--2007	den-rav	RB	58	716	3254	4.54	56.1	40	250	976	3.9	24.4
143	J.D. Smith	1960--1966	sfo-dal	FB-HB	33	451	1850	4.1	56.1	36	411	1564	3.81	43.4
144	Ted Brown	1979--1986	min	RB	50	660	2799	4.24	56	56	499	1907	3.82	34.1
145	Dick Bass	1960--1969	ram	FB-HB	47	590	2612	4.43	55.6	59	567	2504	4.42	42.4
146	Sammy Winder	1982--1990	den	RB	80	1195	4443	3.72	55.5	52	423	1356	3.21	26.1
147	Emerson Boozer	1966--1975	nyj	RB	54	774	2984	3.86	55.3	58	518	2092	4.04	36.1
148	Ed Podolak	1969--1977	kan	RB	48	655	2630	4.02	54.8	47	423	1482	3.5	31.5
149	Earnest Byner	1984--1997	cle-was-rav	RB	111	1522	6064	3.98	54.6	102	757	3034	4.01	29.7
150	Brandon Jacobs	2005--2011	nyg	RB	71	862	3869	4.49	54.5	39	336	1441	4.29	36.9
151	Roger Craig	1983--1993	sfo-rai-min	RB	127	1658	6873	4.15	54.1	53	529	2106	3.98	39.7
152	Mel Farr	1967--1973	det	RB	31	377	1677	4.45	54.1	27	292	960	3.29	35.6
153	Bobby Humphrey	1989--1992	den-mia	RB	33	422	1781	4.22	54	22	342	1338	3.91	60.8
154	Jim Otis	1970--1978	nor-kan-crd	RB	57	782	3057	3.91	53.6	51	391	1335	3.41	26.2
155	Chris Warren	1990--2000	sea-dal-phi	RB	70	872	3743	4.29	53.5	91	948	4061	4.28	44.6
156	Ahmad Bradshaw	2007--2011	nyg	RB	52	565	2780	4.92	53.5	27	246	917	3.73	34
157	John Stephens	1988--1993	nwe-gnb-kan	RB	28	410	1477	3.6	52.8	59	535	1963	3.67	33.3
158	Gary W. Anderson	1985--1993	sdg-tam-det	RB	36	420	1899	4.52	52.8	73	449	1510	3.36	20.7
159	Otis Armstrong	1973--1980	den	RB	58	721	3055	4.24	52.7	39	321	1408	4.39	36.1
160	Mercury Morris	1969--1976	mia-sdg	RB	74	737	3896	5.29	52.6	33	161	682	4.24	20.7
161	Kevan Barlow	2001--2006	sfo-nyj	RB	37	451	1946	4.31	52.6	50	583	2074	3.56	41.5
162	Tom Sullivan	1972--1978	phi-cle	RB	26	375	1359	3.62	52.3	51	483	1683	3.48	33
163	Reggie Cobb	1990--1996	tam-gnb-jax-nyj	RB	29	407	1514	3.72	52.2	62	670	2255	3.37	36.4
164	Hewritt Dixon	1963--1970	den-rai	RB-TE	55	677	2861	4.23	52	38	161	553	3.43	14.6
165	Altie Taylor	1969--1976	det-oti	RB	54	718	2794	3.89	51.7	45	417	1406	3.37	31.2
166	Tony Collins	1981--1990	nwe-mia	RB	56	682	2885	4.23	51.5	53	556	1962	3.53	37
167	Sherman Smith	1976--1983	sea-sdg	RB	35	403	1792	4.45	51.2	53	431	1728	4.01	32.6
168	Justin Fargas	2003--2009	rai	FB	25	287	1278	4.45	51.1	65	540	2091	3.87	32.2
169	Edgar Bennett	1992--1999	gnb-chi	RB	64	899	3264	3.63	51	47	379	1289	3.4	27.4
170	Terry Metcalf	1973--1981	crd-was	RB-WR	46	499	2341	4.69	50.9	36	282	1216	4.31	33.8
171	Calvin Hill	1969--1981	dal-was-cle	RB	96	1145	4884	4.27	50.9	54	395	1559	3.95	28.9
172	Michael Vick	2001--2011	atl-phi	QB	65	459	3287	7.16	50.6	51	297	2165	7.29	42.5
173	MacArthur Lane	1968--1978	crd-gnb-kan	RB	52	602	2620	4.35	50.4	67	551	1884	3.42	28.1
174	Larry Kinnebrew	1983--1990	cin-buf	RB	37	458	1863	4.07	50.4	40	328	1287	3.92	32.2
175	Gerry Ellis	1980--1986	gnb	RB	46	479	2314	4.83	50.3	54	350	1499	4.28	27.8
176	Barry Word	1987--1993	nor-kan-min	RB	45	541	2235	4.13	49.7	24	223	859	3.85	35.8
177	Johnny Roland	1966--1973	crd-nyg	RB	40	501	1968	3.93	49.2	47	427	1458	3.41	31
178	Herschel Walker	1986--1997	dal-min-phi-nyg	RB	84	962	4122	4.28	49.1	106	1020	4235	4.15	40
179	Curtis Dickey	1980--1986	clt-cle	RB	30	383	1467	3.83	48.9	51	553	2545	4.6	49.9
180	Keith Lincoln	1961--1968	sdg-buf	FB-HB	47	440	2294	5.21	48.8	38	308	1255	4.07	33
181	Boobie Clark	1973--1980	cin-oti	RB	48	601	2311	3.85	48.1	31	225	837	3.72	27
182	Clarence Davis	1971--1978	rai	RB	73	759	3511	4.63	48.1	25	166	625	3.77	25
183	Michael Pittman	1998--2008	crd-tam-den	RB	69	782	3315	4.24	48	81	665	2499	3.76	30.9
184	Tom Woodeshick	1963--1972	phi-crd	RB	31	346	1483	4.29	47.8	50	456	1922	4.21	38.4
185	Tyrone Wheatley	1995--2004	nyg-rai	RB	67	818	3185	3.89	47.5	61	492	1878	3.82	30.8
186	Charley Tolar	1960--1966	oti	FB	46	576	2173	3.77	47.2	42	354	1183	3.34	28.2
187	Frank Pollard	1980--1988	pit	RB	52	551	2448	4.44	47.1	50	447	1772	3.96	35.4
188	Lorenzo White	1988--1995	oti-cle	RB	54	612	2538	4.15	47	59	526	1968	3.74	33.4
189	Ron Dayne	2000--2007	nyg-den-htx	RB	54	693	2537	3.66	47	42	320	1271	3.97	30.3
190	Walter Abercrombie	1982--1988	pit-phi	RB	45	516	2113	4.09	47	42	369	1423	3.86	33.9
191	Harvey Williams	1991--1998	kan-rai	RB	53	632	2487	3.94	46.9	55	411	1528	3.72	27.8
192	Don Calhoun	1974--1981	buf-nwe	RB	55	577	2532	4.39	46	39	288	1044	3.63	26.8
193	Greg Hill	1994--1999	kan-ram-det	RB	53	579	2439	4.21	46	28	196	795	4.06	28.4
194	Roland Harper	1975--1982	chi	RB	34	398	1554	3.9	45.7	40	364	1501	4.12	37.5
195	Rob Carpenter	1977--1986	oti-nyg-ram	RB	76	904	3449	3.82	45.4	48	354	1246	3.52	26
196	Dexter Bussey	1974--1984	det	RB	57	578	2571	4.45	45.1	76	628	2551	4.06	33.6
197	Wray Carlton	1960--1967	buf	HB-FB	43	472	1935	4.1	45	38	338	1402	4.15	36.9
198	John David Crow	1960--1968	crd-sfo	HB-TE	52	539	2324	4.31	44.7	45	355	1425	4.01	31.7
199	Mike Alstott	1996--2006	tam	RB	89	1002	3948	3.94	44.4	79	469	1481	3.16	18.7
200	Dalton Hilliard	1986--1993	nor	RB	65	762	2864	3.76	44.1	44	383	1364	3.56	31
201	Joe Washington	1977--1985	sdg-clt-was-atl	RB	64	672	2819	4.19	44	62	542	2076	3.83	33.5
202	Wilbur Jackson	1974--1982	sfo-was	RB	36	371	1574	4.24	43.7	60	608	2305	3.79	38.4
203	Nick Pietrosante	1960--1967	det-cle	FB	50	520	2185	4.2	43.7	36	306	1241	4.06	34.5
204	Mario Bates	1994--2000	nor-crd-det	RB	38	440	1644	3.74	43.3	53	416	1439	3.46	27.2
205	Les Josephson	1964--1974	ram	RB	58	552	2501	4.53	43.1	35	200	628	3.14	17.9
206	Reggie Bush	2006--2011	nor-mia	RB	45	429	1938	4.52	43.1	36	349	1438	4.12	39.9
207	Rocky Bleier	1968--1980	pit	RB	85	861	3602	4.18	42.4	36	207	740	3.57	20.6
208	Chris Brown	2003--2009	oti-htx	RB	32	302	1352	4.48	42.3	38	442	1781	4.03	46.9
209	James R. Jones	1983--1992	det-sea	FB-TE	37	429	1555	3.62	42	75	575	2024	3.52	27
210	Charlie H. Smith	1968--1975	rai-sdg	RB	66	721	2751	3.82	41.7	22	173	715	4.13	32.5
211	Don Woods	1974--1980	sdg-sfo	RB	29	338	1205	3.57	41.6	40	425	1882	4.43	47.1
212	Wayne Morris	1976--1984	crd-sdg	RB	47	496	1951	3.93	41.5	64	399	1432	3.59	22.4
213	LaMont Jordan	2001--2009	nyj-rai-nwe-den	RB	53	467	2180	4.67	41.1	60	469	1770	3.77	29.5
214	Ernie Green	1962--1968	cle	HB-FB	64	556	2621	4.71	41	27	134	654	4.88	24.2
215	Doug Kotar	1974--1981	nyg	RB	31	324	1253	3.87	40.4	58	576	2127	3.69	36.7
216	Dorsey Levens	1994--2004	gnb-phi-nyg	RB	104	1028	4182	4.07	40.2	48	380	1475	3.88	30.7
217	Charles White	1980--1988	cle-ram	RB	51	487	2039	4.19	40	51	303	1068	3.52	20.9
218	Craig Heyward	1988--1998	nor-chi-atl-ram-clt	RB	71	647	2837	4.38	40	72	407	1518	3.73	21.1
219	Reuben Droughns	2001--2008	det-den-cle-nyg	RB	50	478	1993	4.17	39.9	47	459	1638	3.57	34.9
220	Johnny Hector	1983--1992	nyj	RB	58	569	2306	4.05	39.8	63	489	2007	4.1	31.9
221	Harold Green	1990--1998	cin-ram-atl	RB	47	442	1866	4.22	39.7	78	720	2554	3.55	32.7
222	Amos Marsh	1961--1967	dal-det	HB-FB	31	264	1222	4.63	39.4	52	412	1655	4.02	31.8
223	Dave Osborn	1965--1976	min-gnb	RB	82	886	3232	3.65	39.4	47	352	1312	3.73	27.9
224	Cid Edwards	1968--1975	crd-sdg-chi	RB	29	235	1143	4.86	39.4	49	418	1670	4	34.1
225	Tom Matte	1961--1972	clt	RB	94	942	3700	3.93	39.4	43	298	1147	3.85	26.7
226	John L. Williams	1986--1995	sea-pit	FB	81	739	3172	4.29	39.2	75	531	1939	3.65	25.9
227	Ladell Betts	2002--2010	was-nor	RB	52	481	2016	4.19	38.8	60	356	1355	3.81	22.6
228	Walt Garrison	1966--1974	dal	RB	87	777	3319	4.27	38.1	37	236	975	4.13	26.4
229	Michael Bennett	2001--2010	min-kan-tam-sdg-rai	RB	47	424	1788	4.22	38	60	440	2008	4.56	33.5
230	Wendell Hayes	1963--1974	dal-den-kan	RB	62	587	2349	4	37.9	58	401	1445	3.6	24.9
231	Willie Ellison	1967--1974	ram-kan	RB	55	490	2062	4.21	37.5	26	248	1016	4.1	39.1
232	Essex Johnson	1968--1976	cin-tam	RB	48	399	1789	4.48	37.3	65	329	1461	4.44	22.5
233	Jim Kiick	1968--1977	mia-den	RB	80	791	2972	3.76	37.2	34	313	1056	3.37	31.1
234	Stump Mitchell	1981--1989	crd	RB	51	439	1890	4.31	37.1	64	514	2573	5.01	40.2
235	John Fuqua	1969--1976	nyg-pit	RB	57	524	2101	4.01	36.9	37	239	1087	4.55	29.4
236	Robert Newhouse	1972--1983	dal	RB	115	1030	4237	4.11	36.8	42	304	1198	3.94	28.5
237	Curtis McClinton	1962--1968	kan	FB-TE	58	517	2134	4.13	36.8	32	242	978	4.04	30.6
238	Leroy Hoard	1990--1999	cle-rav-car-min	RB	76	677	2796	4.13	36.8	70	392	1397	3.56	20
239	Merril Hoge	1987--1994	pit-chi	RB	56	505	2027	4.01	36.2	54	359	1359	3.79	25.2
240	Charlie Harraway	1966--1973	cle-was	RB	62	588	2240	3.81	36.1	34	275	921	3.35	27.1
241	Larry Garron	1960--1968	nwe	HB-FB	52	457	1877	4.11	36.1	37	260	919	3.53	24.8
242	Correll Buckhalter	2001--2010	phi-den	RB	62	490	2222	4.53	35.8	48	222	959	4.32	20
243	Erric Pegram	1991--1997	atl-pit-sdg-nyg	RB	58	564	2067	3.66	35.6	41	327	1450	4.43	35.4
244	Carl Garrett	1969--1977	nwe-chi-nyj-rai	RB	50	435	1752	4.03	35	64	604	2478	4.1	38.7
245	Rickey Young	1975--1983	sdg-min	RB	58	528	2032	3.85	35	73	472	1605	3.4	22
246	Greg Pruitt	1973--1984	cle-rai	RB	88	614	3078	5.01	35	71	577	2517	4.36	35.5
247	Darrin Nelson	1982--1992	min-sdg	RB	73	583	2545	4.37	34.9	76	483	2067	4.28	27.2
248	Lenny Moore	1960--1967	clt	RB-WR	58	467	2011	4.31	34.7	33	247	986	3.99	29.9
249	Donny Anderson	1966--1974	gnb-crd	RB	68	594	2349	3.95	34.5	57	589	2256	3.83	39.6
250	Kenneth Davis	1986--1994	gnb-buf	RB	77	603	2656	4.4	34.5	54	333	1371	4.12	25.4
251	Tommy Mason	1961--1971	min-ram-was	RB	61	544	2102	3.86	34.5	55	424	1855	4.38	33.7
252	Chester Taylor	2002--2011	rav-min-chi-crd	RB	86	726	2953	4.07	34.3	70	470	1932	4.11	27.6
253	Tony Nathan	1979--1987	mia	RB	89	636	3047	4.79	34.2	45	214	950	4.44	21.1
254	Dominic Rhodes	2001--2010	clt-rai	RB	70	578	2387	4.13	34.1	40	334	1306	3.91	32.7
255	Timmy Brown	1960--1968	phi-clt	RB	51	390	1724	4.42	33.8	53	463	2005	4.33	37.8
256	Dick Hoak	1961--1970	pit	RB-WR	43	413	1420	3.44	33	79	638	2307	3.62	29.2
257	Bill Mathis	1960--1969	nyj	FB-HB	66	615	2164	3.52	32.8	60	417	1380	3.31	23
258	Earl Gros	1962--1970	gnb-phi-pit-nor	FB	44	348	1441	4.14	32.8	52	455	1673	3.68	32.2
259	Bill Brown	1961--1974	chi-min	RB	96	893	3138	3.51	32.7	77	709	2461	3.47	32
260	Anthony Johnson	1990--2000	clt-nyj-chi-car-jax	RB	53	482	1712	3.55	32.3	74	371	1389	3.74	18.8
261	Jess Phillips	1968--1977	cin-nor-rai-nwe	RB	62	444	1980	4.46	31.9	61	451	1601	3.55	26.2
262	Terry Kirby	1993--2002	mia-sfo-cle-rai	RB	68	538	2156	4.01	31.7	51	305	1019	3.34	20
263	Ronnie Bull	1962--1971	chi-phi	RB	60	520	1896	3.65	31.6	49	327	1248	3.82	25.5
264	Norm Bulaich	1970--1979	clt-phi-mia	RB	72	552	2275	4.12	31.6	46	300	1195	3.98	26
265	John Cappelletti	1974--1983	ram-sdg	RB	77	676	2410	3.57	31.3	34	183	624	3.41	18.4
266	Sammy Morris	2000--2011	buf-mia-nwe-dal	RB	65	443	1989	4.49	30.6	65	294	1073	3.65	16.5
267	Pete Banaszak	1966--1978	rai	RB	113	867	3453	3.98	30.6	40	185	637	3.44	15.9
268	Cullen Bryant	1973--1987	ram-sea	RB	95	718	2746	3.82	28.9	52	244	965	3.95	18.6
269	Maurice Morris	2002--2011	sea-det	RB	76	535	2169	4.05	28.5	76	374	1600	4.28	21.1
270	Randall Cunningham	1985--2001	phi-min-dal-rav	QB	98	486	2701	5.56	27.6	73	334	2475	7.41	33.9
271	Tony Galbreath	1976--1987	nor-min-nyg	RB	79	504	2124	4.21	26.9	90	544	2021	3.72	22.5
272	Matt Suhey	1980--1989	chi	RB	84	602	2257	3.75	26.9	59	269	845	3.14	14.3
273	Kordell Stewart	1995--2005	pit-chi-rav	QB	76	410	1992	4.86	26.2	54	204	1164	5.71	21.6
274	Steve Young	1985--1999	tam-sfo	QB	125	550	3236	5.88	25.9	60	268	1597	5.96	26.6
275	Steve McNair	1995--2007	oti-rav	QB	100	479	2488	5.19	24.9	72	245	1457	5.95	20.2
276	Donovan McNabb	1999--2011	phi-was-min	QB	106	458	2391	5.22	22.6	74	229	1488	6.5	20.1
277	Kevin Faulk	1999--2011	nwe	RB	125	653	2743	4.2	21.9	54	299	1289	4.31	23.9
278	Preston Pearson	1968--1980	clt-pit-dal	RB	118	607	2380	3.92	20.2	58	377	1331	3.53	22.9
279	Keith Byars	1986--1998	phi-mia-nwe-nyj	FB-TE	119	537	1893	3.53	15.9	79	318	1154	3.63	14.6
280	John Elway	1983--1998	den	QB	163	598	2279	3.81	14	92	266	1553	5.84	16.9
281	Fran Tarkenton	1961--1978	min-nyg	QB	131	390	1710	4.38	13.1	117	292	1934	6.62	16.5

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One of my law school professors was very quirky, even by law school professor standards. His preferred examination method was multiple choice, but with a twist. After grading each exam, he would then divide the students into quarters based on their test score. He would then re-examine each question, and measure how the top quarter of students performed on each question relative to the bottom quarter. Any question that more bottom-quarter students answered correctly than top-quarter students would be thrown out, and the exam would be re-graded. As he delicately put out, ‘if the wrong students are getting the question right, and the right students are getting the question wrong, it’s a bad question.’

NFL passing records are falling for a variety of reasons these days, including rules changes and league policies that make the passing game more effective. But there’s another reason: for the first time in awhile, the right people are throwing the most passes in the league. And there’s no better example of that than Drew Brees. Since coming to the Saints in 2006, he’s ranked 1st or 2nd in pass attempts four times, and ranked in the top three in net yards per attempt four times. But even since ’06, we’ve seen the passing game evolve, as the best quarterbacks are now the most likely ones to finish near the top of the leaderboard in pass attempts. In 2010, Peyton Manning had his first 600-attempt season… when he threw 679 passes for the Colts. Tom Brady threw 611 passes last year for the 13-3 Patriots, making New England one of just three teams to threw 600 pass attempts and win 13 or more games in a season. The other two teams? The ’09 Colts and the ’11 Saints.

At various points in the history of the NFL, passing was viewed as an alternative to running, and the high-attempt game was the province of the trailing team. But times are changing in the NFL. I calculated each team’s net yards per attempt (NY/A) and total pass attempts (attempts plus sacks) for every year since 1970. Then, I measured the correlation coefficient between NY/A and pass attempts for the league for each of the last 42 seasons. The chart below shows the correlation coefficient between those two variables (NY/A and pass attempts) for the league as a whole for each year since the merger:
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