Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers RB
Many NFL coaches agree with the philosophy that the team that maximizes time of possession and controls the pace of the game often finds itself in the best position to win.
One of the most efficient ways to do this is to have a reliable running attack featuring a durable back.
In 2009, NFL teams with a 100-yard rusher in a game posted an 81-35 record (.698), a winning percentage that rated higher than clubs boasting either a 100-yard receiver (.632; 103-60) or a 300-yard passer (.644; 67-37).
"I know whenever my number is called I'm trying to do the best I can out there," says San Francisco 49ers running back FRANK GORE, whose team was 4-1 last season when he surpassed the 100-yard mark. "As long as we win, I'm good. It's tough to win games in this league."
Over the past five years, teams have compiled a 495-172 record (.742) when a player has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. By comparison, clubs with a 300-yard passer have a .576 winning percentage, while offenses with a 100-yard receiver have won 56.9 percent of games since 2005.
Here's the winning percentages of teams with a 100-yard rusher versus 100-yard receiver or 300-yard passer over the past five seasons
winning percentage of teams comparison over the past 5 seasons
100-YD RUSHERS | 100-YD RECEIVERS | 300-YD PASSERS | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | W-L | Pct. | W-L | Pct. | W-L | Pct. |
Source: NFL | ||||||
2006 | 107-47 | .695 | 81-68 | .544 | 36-29 | .554 |
2007 | 102-37 | .734 | 87-66 | .569 | 43-38 | .531 |
2008 | 93-30 | .756 | 88-63 | .582 | 47-28 | .625 |
2009 | 81-35 | .698 | 103-60 | .632 | 67-37 | .644 |
Total | 495-172 | .742 | 438-331 | .569 | 224-165 | .576 |
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