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**leoto5Fm** · 02-16-2006, 08:00 AM

Many great arguements here... Just look at the YPC tho and you see Barry didnt mind losing 8 cause he knew +30 was right around the corner...

I don't think YPC is the best measurement of a runn9ing backs success though.

Why, you ask?

If a RB goes 19 carries for 14 yards, then busts his 20th carry for 75, it looks like he's had a good day (4.5 YPC) when in fact all day he's been bottled up, and he had ONE good run.

The Cowboys (who I hate) developed a stat called "succesful runs". In which any run that either

1.) gained 4 yards or more
2.) gained a first down
3.) scored a TD

was considered a succesful run.

They determined that if 55% or more of your runs fell under that category, your running game was a success.

OBviously the example I gave above (19 carries for 14 yards, then a bust out run) is extreme, but I would guess that a lot of mediocre RB's had a higher percentage of "succesful runs" than Sanders, because he was a guy who you COULD get for a big loss now and then because of his trying for a big run. Granted, the line Emmit ran behind was better than the line Barry ran behind, but that's not gonna change my argument.

02-16-2006, 08:00 AM	#36
leoto5Fm Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 434 Senior Member	Many great arguements here... Just look at the YPC tho and you see Barry didnt mind losing 8 cause he knew +30 was right around the corner... I don't think YPC is the best measurement of a runn9ing backs success though. Why, you ask? If a RB goes 19 carries for 14 yards, then busts his 20th carry for 75, it looks like he's had a good day (4.5 YPC) when in fact all day he's been bottled up, and he had ONE good run. The Cowboys (who I hate) developed a stat called "succesful runs". In which any run that either 1.) gained 4 yards or more 2.) gained a first down 3.) scored a TD was considered a succesful run. They determined that if 55% or more of your runs fell under that category, your running game was a success. OBviously the example I gave above (19 carries for 14 yards, then a bust out run) is extreme, but I would guess that a lot of mediocre RB's had a higher percentage of "succesful runs" than Sanders, because he was a guy who you COULD get for a big loss now and then because of his trying for a big run. Granted, the line Emmit ran behind was better than the line Barry ran behind, but that's not gonna change my argument.
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