The 5 Most Valuable NFL Rushing Seasons Since 2000
Marshall Faulk, 2000
Season: 2000
Team: St. Louis Rams
Rushing NEP: 50.78
Success Rate: 52.57%
| G | ATT | YDS | Y/G | AVG | TD | FUML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 253 | 1,359 | 97.1 | 5.4 | 18 | 0 |
If the Rams under head coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Mike Martz were the "Greatest Show on Turf", then Faulk was easily the main attraction.
After being traded from the Colts to the Rams prior to the 1999 season due to contract disputes, Faulk was the perfect weapon for the Martz's 'Air Coryell' style offense. In his first year with his new team, Marshall racked up 2,429 total yards from scrimmage to go along with 12 touchdowns, leading the Rams to an eventual Super Bowl XXXIV title. This would set the stage for what would be an even more impressive campaign the next season.
In a career full of MVP-caliber performances, no year was quite as remarkable from a pure rushing perspective as his 2000 season. That season Faulk rushed for 1,359 yards and set what was at the time an NFL-record 26 total touchdowns (including 18 on the ground). What is even more remarkable about this feat was that he did this in only 14 games. After missing the playoffs for nine-consecutive seasons prior to his arrival in St. Louis, Marshall's Rushing NEP of 50.78 helped propel the Rams to a 10-6 record and a second-straight playoff berth.
His impressive 52.57% Success Rate also revealed that Faulk didn't rely solely on the big play to pad his gaudy total in 2000, and that he instead provided the Rams with a steady stream of production as more than half of his touches in the run game led to a positive contribution above expectation.
For all this, Faulk would garner both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards in 2000.
Unfortunately, due in large part to horrendous support from the defense, Marshall's efforts were not enough to replicate their Super Bowl run from the prior season. In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs the Rams would lose 31-28 to the New Orleans Saints, with Faulk being held to just 24 yards on the ground on 14 carries.
