On Offense - Running the Ball Ensures Victory

De Angelo Williams RB Carolina Panthers
De Angelo Williams, RB Carolina Panthers

As glamorous as those 100-yard receiving and 300-yard passing games are, nothing beats a 100-yard rushing game for ensuring a win.

Last year, teams with a 100-yard rusher won 75.6 percent of the time, compared to 58.2 percent for teams with 100-yard receivers and 62.5 percent for 300-yard passers.

"If you can run the ball and stop the run, you have a heck of a chance to win in this league," says Baltimore Ravens general manager OZZIE NEWSOME (right, at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1999), whose team went 4-0 in 2008 when it had a 100-yard rusher.

Over the past five seasons, teams with 100-yard rush performances posted a winning percentage near or above .700, besting the highest marks in the other two categories.

Win percentage of teams with a 100-yard rusher compared to 100-yard receiver and 300-yard passer over the past five seasons

100-Yard Rushers

Season W-L .Pct
Source: National Football League
2004134-44.753
2005112-23.830
2006107-47.695
2007102-37.734
2008 93-30.756

 

100-Yard Receivers

Season W-L .Pct
Source: National Football League
200476-88.463
200579-74.516
200681-68.544
200787-66.569
200888-63-1.582

 

300-Yard Passers

Season W-L .Pct
Source: National Football League
200436-45.444
200531-33.484
200636-29.554
200743-38.531
200847-28-1.625

 

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