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New England Patriots set playoff record for rushing futility in win

ByPhil Watson|
Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) scores a touchdown in front of Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Daryl Smith (51) in the first quarter during the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) scores a touchdown in front of Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Daryl Smith (51) in the first quarter during the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship but set a record for fewest rushing yards in a playoff win.

In the 21st century, the old adage about winning in the playoffs behind defense and the running game has gone the way of the black-and-white television and the single-bar facemask.

In their 35-31 AFC Divisional Playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night, the New England Patriots set an NFL record for fewest rushing yards in a playoff win, mustering just 14 yards on 13 carries.

From Reuben Frank of Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia:

That was less than half of the previous mark for rushing futility in a postseason victory, set by the St. Louis Rams, who rushed for 29 yards in their Super Bowl XXXIV victory over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 30, 2000, per pro-football-reference.com.

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The previous low in a Divisional Playoff game was 31 yards, also set by the Rams on that same Super Bowl run in a 49-37 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 16, 2000.

Quarterback Tom Brady had six of New England’s 13 carries, gaining zero yards net but scoring a 4-yard touchdown. Brandon Bolden was the Patriots’ leading rusher—term “leading” used extraordinarily lightly—with seven yards on three attempts. Shane Vereen had the longest run of the day for New England on his only carry, gaining six yards, and LeGarrette Blount had one yard on three runs.

And that’s it.

New England was able to offset that with a big day in the passing game. The Pats finished with 408 net passing yards. Brady threw for 367 on 33-of-50 passing with three touchdowns and an interception and wide receiver Julian Edelman threw a 51-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.

The Ravens had two sacks for 10 yards.

It was the just the ninth time since 1940 that a team had been held to less than 50 yards in a postseason victory.

The Baltimore Colts set the record with 50 rushing yards in a 24-14 victory over the Vikings in the 1968 NFL playoffs. That mark fell on Dec. 23, 1984, when the New York Giants gained 40 yards on the ground in a 16-13 Wild Card Playoff win over the then-Los Angeles Rams.

The record for the fewest rushing yards in a conference championship game is held, coincidentally, by the Ravens, who gained 49 in their 24-10 win over the Titans in the 2000 AFC title game.

Better to have this record—and a win—than the record set by the 1984 Cleveland Browns, who rushed for 251 yards in a 24-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins in a Divisional Playoff game—the most rushing yards in NFL history for a losing team in a playoff game, according to pro-football-reference.com.

The record for fewest rushing yards in a playoff game—win or lose—was minus-4, set by Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions in a 16-12 loss to the Green Bay Packers in a 1994 NFC Wild Card Playoff.

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