NFL 1,000-yard rushers/ rookie records 2024/ Brandon Aubrey kicking stats/ Green Bay shutout 2024/ Saquon Barkley rushing stats/ Newslooks/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ This NFL season has seen a surprising resurgence of 1,000-yard rushers, rivaling 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in years, led by Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Rookies like Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers are breaking records, while kickers set new marks for long field goals. The Packers delivered the season’s first shutout, preventing 2024 from being the first season without one.
NFL Running Backs Make a Comeback: Quick Looks
- Rushing Renaissance: 11 players have reached 1,000 rushing or receiving yards, with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry leading the charge.
- Rookie Stars: Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers are rewriting rookie records for Washington and Las Vegas.
- Kicking Milestones: Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey set a record with 14 field goals of 50+ yards this season.
- 49ers Struggles: San Francisco extended a pattern of feast-or-famine seasons after a Super Bowl loss.
- Shutout Saved: Green Bay delivered the NFL’s first shutout of 2024 in Week 16.
NFL Running Backs Shine in a Season of 1,000-Yard Performances
Deep Look
This NFL season is proving to be a standout year for running backs, rookies, and record-setting kickers. With two weeks remaining, a host of players and teams have made statistical waves, reinvigorating trends across multiple positions.
Rushing Resurgence
For the first time in over a decade, 1,000-yard rushers are nearly keeping pace with 1,000-yard receivers. As of now, 11 players have reached this milestone in either rushing or receiving, a stark contrast to recent years when wide receivers dominated the leaderboard.
- Saquon Barkley: The Eagles star leads the NFL with 1,838 rushing yards and remains on pace to become the ninth player in league history to surpass 2,000 yards in a season. Barkley’s explosive playmaking includes a record-setting four touchdowns of 65+ yards.
- Derrick Henry: The Ravens’ workhorse back has 1,636 rushing yards, marking the first season since 2012 with two players surpassing 1,600 yards. Henry is also one 1,500-yard season shy of tying Barry Sanders’ career record of five.
Rookie Sensations
Two rookies, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels and Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers, are on the brink of historic accomplishments.
- Jayden Daniels: With 737 rushing yards, Daniels is 79 yards away from breaking Robert Griffin III’s rookie quarterback rushing record set in 2012. He’s also the second rookie QB to win 10 starts and produce 4,000 total yards, joining Andrew Luck (2012).
- Brock Bowers: Bowers has tied for the third-most rookie receptions in NFL history with 101 and needs five more to surpass Puka Nacua’s record from last season. His 1,067 receiving yards are just nine short of Mike Ditka’s rookie record for tight ends set in 1961.
Kicking Excellence
Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys has redefined long-distance kicking this season, setting new records for 50+ yard field goals and total field goal yardage.
- Aubrey has made 14 field goals of 50+ yards, breaking the previous NFL record.
- His 36 total field goals have combined for 1,636 yards, surpassing Justin Tucker’s 2016 record of 1,601 yards.
This season also shattered the league-wide record for 50+ yard field goals, with 173 and counting, eclipsing the previous high of 158 set in 2023.
49ers’ Feast or Famine
San Francisco’s 2024 campaign continued a curious trend of alternating dominant and disappointing seasons. Following their 2023 Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers are now assured of a losing record.
- The 49ers have reached the NFC Championship or Super Bowl in all seven of their winning seasons over the past 22 years but have struggled in all other years.
- They join a short list of teams, including the 2022 Rams and 2016 Panthers, to post a losing record following a Super Bowl appearance.
Green Bay’s Shutout Saves the Season
The Packers ensured that 2024 would not be the first season in NFL history without a shutout.
- Green Bay’s 34-0 victory over New Orleans in Week 16 marked the league’s first shutout of the year.
- This was the latest into a season for the first shutout, breaking a previous record set in 2010 when the first shutout occurred in Week 8.
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