StaTuesday: Vikings' rushing average among worst ever in NFL
The rushing offense of the Minnesota Vikings this season has been, simply put, abysmal.
The Vikings have topped 100 yards on the ground in just one game this season, and even that one was just barely. Minnesota had 104 yards against the New York Giants and only crossed the 100-yard plateau on the final drive of the game as the Vikings ran out the clock.
And there's good reason Minnesota isn't churning out the yards. As it currently stands, based on their average, the Vikings could run the ball three times in a series and not get a first down.
Yes, Minnesota's rushing average is a putrid 2.8 yards per carry. If you think Adrian Peterson's return might help, well, in theory it should, but it's not like Peterson was doing anything before he got hurt. In fact, he has the worst rushing average of any Vikings running back, including fullback Zach Line.
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerick McKinnon | 106 | 316 | 3.0 |
| Matt Asiata | 90 | 287 | 3.2 |
| Adrian Peterson | 31 | 50 | 1.6 |
| Ronnie Hillman | 18 | 50 | 2.8 |
| Sam Bradford | 11 | -3 | -0.3 |
| Zach Line | 7 | 15 | 2.1 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 5 | 37 | 7.4 |
| Stefon Diggs | 3 | 10 | 3.3 |
| Shaun Hill | 2 | 8 | 4.0 |
| Adam Thielen | 1 | 11 | 11.0 |
| Rhett Ellison | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
The Vikings' 2.8 average isn't the worst of all time, but it is among the bottom of the barrel, currently ranked as the eighth-lowest rushing average since 1940 and the lowest since 1992. Only 17 teams since 1940 have had a rushing average of under 3.0 yards per carry, and of those just three others have occurred since the NFL-AFL merger.
But if you are looking for hope for Minnesota, it should be noted that all three of those recent teams finished the season with a winning record and two, New England in 1986 and 1994, went to the playoffs.
| Team | Year | Record | Att | Yds | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1943 | 2-8 | 333 | 610 | 1.83 |
| Detroit Lions | 1946 | 1-10 | 233 | 472 | 2.03 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 1943 | 0-10 | 334 | 709 | 2.12 |
| New York Giants | 1953 | 3-9 | 398 | 1049 | 2.64 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1942 | 2-9 | 407 | 1089 | 2.68 |
| Detroit Lions | 1943 | 3-6-1 | 294 | 817 | 2.78 |
| New England Patriots | 1994 | 10-6 | 478 | 1332 | 2.79 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2016 | 6-5 | 275 | 782 | 2.84 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1966 | 5-8-1 | 375 | 1092 | 2.91 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1992 | 9-7 | 379 | 1102 | 2.91 |
| Washington Redskins | 1965 | 6-8 | 354 | 1037 | 2.93 |
| Washington Redskins | 1962 | 5-7-2 | 371 | 1088 | 2.93 |
| New England Patriots | 1986 | 11-5 | 469 | 1373 | 2.93 |
| Washington Redskins | 1961 | 1-12-1 | 361 | 1072 | 2.97 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1954 | 7-4-1 | 401 | 1196 | 2.98 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1946 | 6-5 | 423 | 1263 | 2.99 |
| Boston Patriots | 1965 | 4-8-2 | 373 | 1117 | 2.99 |
Statistics courtesy pro-football-reference.com
Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns