Super Bowl-winning running back tandems

Cold, Hard Football Facts for Mar 09, 2008

Here is a look at the regular-season rushing yardage of the top two running backs from each Super Bowl champion.

The last column shows the second back's percentage of the leading rusher's total. The smallest percentages (those less than 25) appear in bold italics.

You'll notice that early in the Super Bowl Era, teams were more likely to have two backs share the workload. The Cold, Hard Football Facts show that more teams are moving back toward a two-back tandem, rather than having just one featured ballcarrier.

The era of the single featured balll carrier appears to have peaked in the late 80s and into the 90s.

Super Bowl champion running back tandems

SB Champ	Top RB	Yards	Second RB	Yards	% of RB1
2007 Giants	Brandon Jacobs	1,009	Derrick Ward	602	59.7
2006 Colts	Joseph Addai	1,081	Dominic Rhodes	641	59.3
2005 Steelers	Willie Parker	1,202	Jerome Bettis	368	30.6
2004 Patriots	Corey Dillon	1,635	Kevin Faulk	255	*15.9*
2003 Patriots	Antowain Smith	642	Kevin Faulk	638	99.4
2002 Bucs	Michael Pittman	718	Mike Alstott	548	76.3
2001 Patriots	Antowain Smith	1,157	Kevin Faulk	169	*14.6*
2000 Ravens	Jamal Lewis	1,364	Priest Holmes	588	43.1
1999 Rams	Marshall Faulk	1,381	Robert Holcombe	294	*21.3*
1998 Broncos	Terrell Davis	2,008	Derek Loville	161	*8.0*
1997 Broncos	Terrell Davis	1,750	Vaughn Hebron	222	*12.7*
1996 Packers	Edgar Bennett	899	Dorsey Levens	566	63.0
1995 Cowboys	Emmitt Smith	1,773	Sherman Williams	205	*11.6*
1994 49ers	Ricky Watters	877	William Floyd	305	34.8
1993 Cowboys	Emmitt Smith	1,486	Derrick Lassic	269	*18.1*
1992 Cowboys	Emmitt Smith	1,713	Curvin Richards	176	*10.3*
1991 Redskins	Earnest Byner	1,048	Ricky Ervins	680	64.9
1990 Giants	Ottis Anderson	784	Rodney Hampton	455	58.0
1989 49ers	Roger Craig	1,054	Tom Rathman	305	28.9
1988 49ers	Roger Craig	1,502	Tom Rathman	427	28.4
1987 Redskins	George Rogers	613	Kelvin Bryant	406	66.2
1986 Giants	Joe Morris	1,516	Maurice Carthon	260	*17.2*
1985 Bears	Walter Payton	1,551	Matt Suhey	471	30.4
1984 49ers	Wendell Tyler	1,262	Roger Craig	649	51.4
1983 Raiders	Marcus Allen	1,014	Frank Hawkins	526	51.9
1982 Redskins	John Riggins	553	Joe Washington	190	34.4
1981 49ers	Ricky Patton	543	Earl Cooper	330	60.8
1980 Raiders	Mark Van Eeghen	838	Kenny King	761	90.8
1979 Steelers	Franco Harris	1,186	Sidney Thornton	585	49.3
1978 Steelers	Franco Harris	1,082	Rocky Bleier	633	58.5
1977 Cowboys	Tony Dorsett	1,077	Robert Newhouse	721	66.9
1976 Raiders	Mark Van Eeghen	1,012	Clarence Davis	516	51.0
1975 Steelers	Franco Harris	1,246	Rocky Bleier	528	42.4
1974 Steelers	Franco Harris	1,006	Rocky Bleier	373	37.1
1973 Dolphins	Larry Csonka	1,003	Mercury Morris	954	95.1
1972 Dolphins	Larry Csonka	1,117	Mercury Morris	1,000	89.5
1971 Cowboys	Duane Thomas	793	Calvin Hill	468	59.0
1970 Colts	Norm Bulaich	426	Tom Nowatzke	248	58.2
1969 Chiefs	Mike Garrett	732	Robert Holmes	612	83.6
1968 Jets	Matt Snell	747	Emerson Boozer	441	59.0
1967 Packers	Jim Grabowski	466	Ben Wilson	453	97.2
1966 Packers	Jim Taylor	705	Elijah Pitts	393	55.7

By Kerry Byrne

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