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Tag Team: the NFL's 1,000-yard backfield tandems
Cold, Hard Football Facts for August 16, 2010

Carolina's DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart became just the six backfield tandem to each top 1,000 yards on the ground last year. (We discussed Williams specifically, and Williams-Stewart in general, here earlier today.)
 
More impressively, Williams-Stewart was the most prolific of those six tandems (a total of 2,250 yards) and the first since Larry Csonka-Mercury Morris of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins in which each back topped 5.0 YPA.
 
Of course, it pays to remember that Csonka-Mercury produced their total of 2,117 yards in just 14 games (151.2 YPG). At that pace, they would have cranked out a total of 2,419 yards in the 16-game seasons of today. Williams-Stewart combined for 140.6 YPG.
 
Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, meanwhile, produced 2,164 yards, also in a 14-game season (154.6 YPG). But it took those two 106 more carries than Csonka-Morris just to gain an additional 47 yards on the ground.
 
Here's a look at the six 1,000-yard tandems in NFL history.
 
1972 Dolphins Attempts Yards TD YPA
Larry Csonka 213 1117 6 5.24
Mercury Morris 190 1000 12 5.26
Total 403 2117 18 5.25
 
1976 Steelers Attempts Yards TD YPA
Franco Harris 289 1128 14 3.90
Rocky Bleier 220 1036 5 4.71
Total 509 2164 19 4.25
         
 
1985 Browns
Attempts
Yards
TD
YPA
Kevin Mack
222
1104
7
4.97
Earnest Byner
244
1002
8
4.11
Total
466
2106
15
4.52

 

2006 Falcons
Attempts
Yards
TD
YPA
Warrick Dunn
286
1140
4
3.99
Michael Vick
123
1039
2
8.45
Total
409
2179
6
5.33

2008 Giants
Attempts
Yards
TD
YPA
Brandon Jacobs
219
1089
15
4.97
Derrick Ward
182
1025
2
5.63
Total
401
2114
17
5.27

2009 Panthers Attempts Yards TD  YPA
Jonathan Stewart 221 1133 10 5.13
DeAngelo Williams 216 1117 7 5.17
Total 437 2250 17 5.15


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