FanPost

It was just the Rams...

... not.

Consider the careers of the running backs who, all time, have posted a similar rushing games to DeMarco's outing (chart below). If you set aside those who started NFL careers late, there are 22 comparable RBs, of which 2 (Harrison and Ellison) did not have (or are not having) significant careers. That is about a 10% "bust" rate. And look at the names on the list. Over 50% of the names are monster backs.

And as KD Drummond's post showed, the opposition is beside the point. Most of these games came against bad running defenses. The correlation between being on this list and being a great back is 90%.

Most Yards Single Game Rushing

Rank

Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active

Yds

Best Yards, Season

Career Yards

NOTES

1

Adrian Peterson (22)

296

1760

6494

2

Jamal Lewis

295

2066

10607

3

Jerome Harrison (26)

286

862

1681

4

Corey Dillon

278

1635

11241

5

Walter Payton+

275

1852

16726

6

O.J. Simpson+

273

2003

11236

7

Shaun Alexander

266

1880

9453

8

Jamaal Charles (23)

259

1467

3027

9

DeMarco Murray (23)

253

?

?

10

Mike Anderson

251

1487

4067

4 years in the Marines before College

11

Spec Sanders

250

1432

2900

Career starts at 28, Hybrid RB/QB

O.J. Simpson+

250

2003

11236

12

Eric Dickerson+

248

2105

13259

13

Willie Ellison

247

1000

3426

14

Corey Dillon

246

1635

11241

15

LaDainian Tomlinson (24)

243

1815

13515

 

Cookie Gilchrist

243

1096

4293

Career starts at 27. Additional CFL yards.

16

Barry Sanders+

237

2053

15269

Jim Brown+

237

1863

12312

Jim Brown+

237

1863

12312

Emmitt Smith+

237

1773

18355

17

Fred Taylor (24)

234

1572

11695

Tiki Barber

234

1860

10449

18

Bobby Mitchell+

232

1436

7954

Jim Brown+

232

1863

12312

19

Arian Foster (24)

231

1616

2293

20

Chris Johnson (24)

228

2006

4866

Clinton Portis (21)

228

1591

9923

Ricky Williams (25)

228

1853

9729


Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.