... 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 |