The Dolphins may not have made the playoffs in 2002, but running back Ricky Williams still got to enjoy recognition as the league's best back as he won the rushing title and basked in the Hawaiian sun as the winner of the Pro Bowl MVP award. Meanwhile, Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, the rushing title holder in 2001, was at home continuing his rehab after missing the last two games of the regular season with a hip injury. He still won the AP's Offensive Player of the Year award, but would have broken several NFL records had he been able to finish the season on the field.
Williams probably still would have been the league's rushing leader, but there are other ways to compare running backs, especially with the pass-heavy evolution of NFL offenses. Running back is a rather versatile position, where a good play could be a 10-yard run, a 5-yard catch on third-and-four, or a 1-yard plunge at the goal line. Receiving ability, blocking, durability, short yardage running, the ability to break big plays, and ability to avoid fumbles and being tackled for a loss are all attributes scouts and general managers use to contrast running backs.
Many of these attributes can be measured with statistics. What follows is a breakdown of different aspects of running backs' 2002 statistics to help compare the best backs in the league.
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