Stats Roundup: A Decade Of Rushing
The 2000s was the most successful decade in franchise history for the Chiefs when it came to running the football. That was thanks to the strong legs and ability of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson.
Among the league’s 32 teams, the Chiefs finished ninth in rushing yards over the decade, averaging 122.4 yards per game. That was just less than 12 yards per game behind the rushing leader over the 2000s, the Denver Broncos.
Of the team’s 19,581 rushing yards from 2000 through 2009, Holmes and Johnson accounted for 62 percent of those yards.
The Chiefs finished No. 1 in rushing touchdowns during the decade, with 183 scores. Holmes and Johnson had 131 of those touchdown runs. That was 72 percent of the team’s rushing scores.
Over the last 10 seasons, the Chiefs had six different seasons where a running back ran for 1,000 yards or more (missing only in 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2008.) That was done by three different backs – Holmes, Johnson and Jamaal Charles. Those three and FB Tony Richardson were the Chiefs backs that put up more than 1,000 yards over the decade.
Here’s the top 10 Chiefs rushers over the last 10 seasons:
TOP INDIVIDUAL CHIEFS RUSHERS IN THE DECADE
| Back | Seasons |
G |
Att. |
Yards |
Avg. |
LG |
TDs |
| Priest Holmes | 2001-07 |
65 |
1,321 |
6,070 |
4.6 |
56 |
76 |
| Larry Johnson | 2003-09 |
75 |
1,375 |
6,015 |
4.4 |
65 |
55 |
| Jamaal Charles | 2008-09 |
31 |
257 |
1,477 |
5.7 |
76 |
7 |
| Tony Richardson | 2000-05 |
92 |
277 |
1,105 |
4.0 |
33 |
12 |
| Derrick Blaylock | 2002-04 |
40 |
156 |
723 |
4.6 |
25 |
10 |
| Trent Green | 2001-06 |
88 |
171 |
692 |
4.0 |
24 |
3 |
| Kolby Smith | 2007-09 |
27 |
162 |
540 |
3.3 |
19 |
3 |
| Tyler Thigpen | 2007-09 |
16 |
63 |
388 |
6.2 |
32 |
3 |
| Kimble Anders | 2000-01 |
15 |
76 |
331 |
4.4 |
69 |
2 |
| Johnnie Morton | 2002-04 |
43 |
25 |
261 |
10.4 |
39 |
0 |
As for the rest of the league’s running backs over the last 10 seasons, nobody came close to the attempts, yards and rushing TDs of San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson. He finished almost 1,800 yards ahead of the second best runner of the 2000s, Edgerrin James. Tomlinson had 138 rushing TDs and Shaun Alexander was the only other back that topped 100 scores.
Holmes and Johnson finished 15th and 16th in yardage gained during the decade.
TOP NFL INDIVIDUAL RUSHERS IN THE DECADE
| Back | Team(s) |
Yrs. |
G |
Att. |
Yards |
Avg. |
LG |
TDs |
| LaDainan Tomlinson | San Diego |
9 |
141 |
2,880 |
12,490 |
4.3 |
85t |
138 |
| Edgerrin James | Ind/Ariz/Sea |
10 |
132 |
2,659 |
10,693 |
4.0 |
43 |
67 |
| Jamaal Lewis | Balt/Clev |
9 |
131 |
2,542 |
10,607 |
4.2 |
82t |
58 |
| Clinton Portis | Den/Wash |
8 |
108 |
2,176 |
9,696 |
4.5 |
78 |
73 |
| Fred Taylor | Jax/NE |
10 |
121 |
2,068 |
9,585 |
4.6 |
80t |
46 |
| Tiki Barber | N.Y. Giants |
7 |
110 |
1,967 |
9,514 |
4.8 |
95t |
52 |
| Shaun Alexander | Seattle |
9 |
123 |
2,187 |
9,453 |
4.3 |
88t |
100 |
| Thomas Jones | Arz/TB/Chi/NYJ |
10 |
148 |
2,280 |
9,217 |
4.0 |
71t |
62 |
| Ahman Green | GB/Sea/Hou |
10 |
118 |
1,995 |
8,876 |
4.4 |
98t |
59 |
| Warrick Dunn | TB/Atlanta |
9 |
134 |
2,005 |
8,347 |
4.2 |
90t |
43 |
| Ricky Williams | NO/Mia |
8 |
103 |
1,911 |
8,008 |
4.2 |
68t |
60 |
| Corey Dillon | Cin/NE |
7 |
104 |
1,860 |
7,782 |
4.2 |
96t |
63 |
| Curtis Martin | NE/NYJ |
6 |
92 |
1,824 |
7,751 |
4.1 |
56 |
45 |
| Steve Jackson | St. Louis |
6 |
84 |
1,548 |
6,707 |
4.3 |
59t |
41 |
| Priest Holmes | Bal/Chiefs |
7 |
81 |
1,458 |
6,658 |
4.6 |
56 |
78 |
| Larry Johnson | Chiefs/Cin |
7 |
82 |
1,421 |
6,219 |
4.4 |
65 |
55 |
Chiefs fans do not have to be convinced that the Broncos knew how to run the football in the 2000s. Denver has been trampling all over the KC defense in the last few years and they did the same to other defenses, as they averaged 136 rushing yards in the 160 regular-season games in the decade.
Atlanta was less than 500 yards behind, while Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Jacksonville and Baltimore were all over 20,000 yards.
TOP RUSHING TEAMS IN THE DECADE
| # | Team |
Attempts |
Yards |
Avg. |
LG |
TD |
Yds. Per Game |
| 1. | Denver |
4,817 |
21,762 |
4.5 |
80t |
153 |
136.0 |
| 2. | Atlanta |
4,735 |
21,289 |
4.5 |
90t |
146 |
133.1 |
| 3. | Pittsburgh |
5,100 |
20,960 |
4.1 |
80t |
149 |
131.0 |
| 4. | Minnesota |
4,460 |
20,588 |
4.6 |
95t |
151 |
128.7 |
| 5. | Jacksonville |
4,645 |
20,338 |
4.4 |
80t |
165 |
127.1 |
| 6. | Baltimore |
4,898 |
20,153 |
4.1 |
82t |
127 |
126.0 |
| 7. | N.Y. Giants |
4,566 |
19,992 |
4.4 |
95t |
144 |
125.0 |
| 8. | Tennessee |
4,848 |
19,963 |
4.1 |
91t |
148 |
124.8 |
| 9. | CHIEFS |
4,468 |
19,581 |
4.4 |
76t |
183 |
122.4 |
| 10. | San Diego |
4,514 |
19,063 |
4.2 |
85t |
182 |
119.1 |
Numbers in red indicate decade leader.
Priest Holmes was better than Larry Johnson he had the complete package except for ability to bounce off defenders like L.J. As I look back I often wonder why I see a player like L.J. never having the mindset of a champion both on and off the field. If you take away being a spoiled baby and playing when I want to play . This guy could have been a great back in this league. All that physical talent but no common sense it is just a pure waste. I often wonder does he have a guilty conscience of all things he did to himself and others. When he leaves this game and if he becomes wise he can tell his children that I was good but daddy could of been greater to this sport. Man what a wasted talent. Thats pretty pathetic.
“Priest Holmes”
“Class Act”
“Nough Said”
Glad he was a Chiefs.
Yea and I dont recall him (holmes) having many problems bouncing off of defenders though. The only thing that LJ had that Priest didn’t was that nasty stiff arm…
It was the worst day seeing Holmes get hurt by Shawne “steroid out” Merriman, it was the beginning of the end for the Chiefs in this decade. its ashame that Holmes couldn’t come back from the injury because he surely would have been up there with Tomlinson’s career stats…
It was interesting to listen to the announcers in the East-West Shrine game. They had talked with Marty Schottenheimer and he said there were three things he wished you could predict as a scout. He said you would better know how a player would react in the NFL. One was how the player would go from a structured college environment to having lots of spare time on their hands as a pro. The second was how they would handle all the money as a pro after being in basic poverty as a college player. And last was how they would react to all the fame as a professional athlete. Would they be willing to put in the effort to try to get better?