Fansided

Every NFL team’s greatest rushing season of all time

By Russell S. Baxter

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Eric Dickerson #29 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the football during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals as rain falls at Riverfront Stadium on September 23, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Rams defeated the Bengals 24-14. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Eric Dickerson #29 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the football during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals as rain falls at Riverfront Stadium on September 23, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Rams defeated the Bengals 24-14. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 13: Larry Csonka
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 13: Larry Csonka /

Miami Dolphins: Larry Csonka (1973)

In his first season with the Dolphins in 2002, running back Ricky Williams led the NFL in rushing with an impressive 1,853 yards. That total came via a league-high 383 carries. Williams ran for 16 touchdowns, but Dave Wannstedt’s club finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. That being said, it remains the franchise’s single-season record for rushing yards in the season.

One season after achieving perfection in 1972, Don Shula’s Dolphins finished 12-2. They once again won the AFC East and would embark on an impressive playoff run. That year, Larry Csonka totaled 219 carries for 1,003 yards and five scores. None of those numbers were career-bests for the future Hall of Famer. He ran for only 100 yards in three of his 14 games.

So why does he make the list in place of Williams? It was his impact in the playoffs, along with the play of a stellar offensive line and the “No Name Defense” that was the key to the Dolphins repeating as Super Bowl champions.

Csonka ran 20 times for 71 yards and one score in a 34-16 win over the Bengals in the divisional round. There were 117 yards and three touchdowns on 29 attempts in a 27-10 win over the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game. The workhorse finished with 33 carries and 145 yards and a pair of TDs and earned Super Bowl VIII MVP honors in the 24-7 victory over the Vikings.

Next: Minnesota Vikings

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