Best RB Single Season Performance

Today, just like most days, I was perusing random football statistics. I came across something (I don’t even remember what it was now) and started wondering if Reggie White’s 1987 season was the best season for a defensive end of all-time. Then I wondered if 1987 harbored both the greatest season by a defensive end of all-time and the greatest season by a wide receiver, with Jerry Rice. Then I started to ponder if it was possible to pin down the greatest single season for each position.

For whatever reason, I started looking at running backs first. This was either a good idea or a bad idea depending on how you want to look at it, because there have been several incredible seasons by running backs that could be argued as the single greatest ever. I started by putting together a list, including all of the 2,000-yard rushing seasons, the top five rushing TDs in a season, top five all-purpose TDs in a season, and top ten yards from scrimmage in a season.

Barry Sanders, my favorite running back of all-time

There was obviously some overlap in these groups, so I conveniently ended up with a list of 20 seasons.

(Listed in chronological order after the jump.)

Danario Debuts

Back on August 23rd I wrote this post about former Missouri Tigers wide receiver Danario Alexander signing with the St. Louis Rams.  I was excited then and I was even more excited about his NFL debut today.

After the Rams lost their leading (only?) receiver last week when the turf monster in Detroit decided to attack Mark Clayton, they really had nowhere to turn except Alexander.  He had been assigned to the practice squad and questions lingered about the health of his knee following the fourth operation.  Plus, he’d been brought on late had a playbook to learn.  Still, he showed the Rams enough to get activated for today’s game against the Chargers.  I wasn’t sure if he’d just serve as a decoy or a 3rd down/5th wide receiver or if he’d actually get some playing time.

Turns out, he did a whole lot more than I expected.

Danario the Ram!

I try to avoid posting about the NFL as much as possible because Weller has that area covered pretty much all the time.  This one, however, I couldn’t pass on.  One of my favorite players from my alma mater, Mizzou, signed on with my favorite NFL team, the Rams, as an unrestricted free agent…and he should get some playing time.

If you’ve followed this site much, or listened to me talk, I’ve been pushing for the signing of Danario Alexander for a while now.  I figure it’s a low risk-high reward type of move.  Alexander led the NCAA in receiving yards per game last year and was screwed out of passed over for the Biletnikoff Award because he didn’t go to Notre Dame.  About half the people at Mizzou are Rams fans, so this should add some TV sets, as well.

Sam Bradford Signs

Can we keep the red jersey on him all year?

I realize this happened a few days ago, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down this weekend so I have barely gotten a chance to see any news about it at all.  Usually I leave all the NFL news to Weller since that’s pretty much his life but I feel like this one is special since I’m a Rams fan.  Yeah, it did hurt a bit to type that.

Anyway, the Rams just inked their franchise savior to the richest rookie deal in history and it will probably stay that way until there’s another uncapped year in the NFL.  He’s guaranteed a cool 50 million bucks and the deal could reach 86 million if all the performance incentives are reached.  Must be nice.

Rams Draft

As you all know, I’m blessed with the curse of being a St. Louis Rams fan.  About ten years ago, it was a great thing.  Now we’re the laughingstock of pro football.  I guess we’re not the Lions, but you get the idea.  It’s bad.

Anyway, we have a decision to make with the upcoming #1 overall pick in the draft.  With many obvious holes to fill and no real chance to contend next year, (or the year after…or the year after…) I’d like to give my strategy for the upcoming draft.  This might give away my picks for the upcoming Fan Mock Draft, but I have the #1 pick and a few back up plans.

Let’s get started with that first pick.

Big NFL News

I’m going to hit on this real quick with some bullet points.

• Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards was traded to the New York Jets for Jason Trusnik, a great special teams player, Chansi Stuckey, the wide receiver that won the starting spot opposite Jerricho Cotchery after Laveranues Coles left and a couple of draft picks.
• The San Francisco 49ers have finally agreed to a deal with rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree. I don’t know the amount the contract is worth yet, but it will be a six-year deal that can be reduced to five years if Crabtree meets certain performance requirements.
• In quarterback news, Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles was cleared to play and should start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• In opposite quarterback news, the New York Giants Eli Manning did not participate in practice and instead got treatment on his injured foot, which has been diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. His status for this weeks game against the Oakland Raiders is still up in the air. If he can’t go, David Carr will start in his place.
• Also, the St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts and talk radio host Rush Limbaugh have teamed up and made a bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, something I’m sure Bryan will want to touch more on later.

It’s About That Time Again…

The NFL Season is just around the corner and that means another season of epic failure for my St. Louis Rams. Last year it took an injury to a back up guard to prompt this post, this year it’s the fact that the 2006 draft has officially been labeled one of the worst in NFL history. The Scott Linehan may have done Matt Millen-esque harm to the Rams franchise. The guy is an idiot.

When Linehan was hired back in 2006, I thought he couldn’t be any worse than the Mad Scientist, Mike Martz. While he was an idiot, too…Linehan made him look like Einstein.

My Favorite Things

The other night Weller and I got to sending YouTube clips back and forth about our favorite sports moments(that we remember).  They covered just about every sport from the time I was seven to this past February.  So I figured I would put them all up in one place for everyone to see and discuss and I’m sure there will be much of that.

We’ll start with the easy one:

I could watch that all day.  This is the only proof that I have that the Rams were at one time good.  At the time my Dad and I shared season tickets with some other folks and we had the privilege of being at this game the week before.  Before that 1999 season the Rams had spent four years in St. Louis and were a combined 22-42.  To see our team go from that bad to that good and then win the Super Bowl like that was just awesome.  This is still the most exciting Super Bowl ever, no matter what anyone says.

Focusing On The Important Super Bowl Issues…

I realize we haven’t actually put up any sort of real Super Bowl reaction,  but this is too important to go unnoticed.  Lost among all the talk of one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played and the performances of Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes was the shocking change in Kurt Warner’s wife.

Being a St. Louis Rams fan, I’m well acquainted with Mrs. Warner and her odd style.  I remember her calling into a local St. Louis radio station to defend her husband after the hosts criticized his poor performance.  I remember the cameras always finding her in the stands, despite her shockingly unnattractive looks.  Last night, it took until the fourth quarter to realize that she had changed a bit since leaving the Lou.

More NFL Coaching Updates

Within the last 24 hours three important coaching changes have been made.  First and most important, the Kansas City Chiefs fired Herm Edwards today after a tumultuous three years.  He ended with a 15-33 record overall, including 6-26 over the last two years.  I know many Chiefs fans who wanted Herm gone after last year, so I’m sure they’re more than happy with today’s news.

Rumor has it that the Chiefs have targeted Mike Shanahan to take over.  I can’t figure out why Shanahan would want to take over such a major rebuilding project, but maybe he thinks they can have a quick turn around with new GM Scott Pioli.  I don’t see it unless they get a new Quaterback.