Commenter Dan had a good suggestion: what if we create heat maps for each running back, with color-coding to depict how often a player gained at least X amount of yards?
Well, ask, and ye shall receive. I looked at all running backs with at least 100 carries in 2014, and then measured on what percent of their runs did each running back gain at least 0 yards, at least 1 yard, at least 2 yards, etc., up to 10 yards. I also calculated the percentage of runs that went for at least 15+ and at least 20+ yards.
For example, among this group, the backs gained at least 0 yards on 90% of their runs, at least 1 yard on 81% of their runs, and at least 2 yards on 69% of their runs. [1]Note that I took an average of the averages approach; in other words, I am placing the same weight on DeMarco Murray’s runs as Toby Gerhart‘s when calculating league average, rather … Continue reading Last year, DeMarco Murray gained at least 0 yards on 91%, 1 yard on 81%, and 2 yards on 69% of his runs; in other words, he was just barely above average in all three categories. But where Murray stood out was in percentage of runs that went for bigger chunks: in particular, 49% of his carries went for at least 4 yards, +7% over the league average of 42%.
Take a look: for each running back, the picture below displays his percentage over or under league average. So for Lamar Miller, the 11% in the 5 column means that he gained at least 5 yards on 43% of his runs, or 11% higher than the league average rate of 32%.
And for those who want the information in table form:
| Running Back | # Car | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeMarco Murray | 393 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| LeSean McCoy | 314 | -3 | -4 | -3 | -1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Le'Veon Bell | 290 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Marshawn Lynch | 280 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Matt Forte | 266 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -2 | -1 | -2 |
| Alfred Morris | 265 | 0 | 0 | -3 | -2 | 2 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Arian Foster | 260 | 0 | -1 | -1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Frank Gore | 255 | -1 | -1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Lacy | 246 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Justin Forsett | 235 | -1 | -1 | -3 | -2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| Mark Ingram | 225 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Joique Bell | 223 | -2 | -3 | -6 | -4 | -2 | 0 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Hill | 222 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Lamar Miller | 216 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Andre Williams | 216 | -1 | -5 | -6 | -6 | -8 | -6 | -8 | -9 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -2 | 0 |
| Jamaal Charles | 205 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Andre Ellington | 201 | -3 | -3 | -1 | -5 | -7 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -2 | 1 | 0 |
| Chris Ivory | 198 | -3 | 1 | -2 | -2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 0 | -2 |
| Steven Jackson | 189 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -5 | -2 | -2 | -4 | -4 | -2 | -3 | -1 |
| C.J. Anderson | 179 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Tre Mason | 179 | -3 | -6 | -7 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Jonathan Stewart | 176 | -4 | -3 | -2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Terrance West | 171 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -4 | -1 | 0 |
| Giovani Bernard | 168 | 3 | 2 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -5 | -4 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 |
| Alfred Blue | 168 | -3 | -5 | -6 | -10 | -5 | -5 | -6 | -5 | -6 | -5 | -5 | -3 | -1 |
| Rashad Jennings | 167 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -1 | 0 | -2 |
| Matt Asiata | 164 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | -6 | -5 | -7 | -8 | -6 | -3 | -2 |
| Branden Oliver | 160 | -1 | -3 | -6 | -4 | -1 | -2 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -1 | -1 | 0 |
| Trent Richardson | 160 | -1 | 0 | -1 | -6 | -7 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -4 | -2 | -2 |
| Darren McFadden | 156 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -2 | -5 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -2 |
| Chris Johnson | 154 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | -4 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bishop Sankey | 153 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | -2 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | -3 | -2 |
| Isaiah Crowell | 148 | -6 | -6 | -9 | -3 | -2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Fred Jackson | 141 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | -3 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 |
| Denard Robinson | 135 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 5 | -1 | -4 | -1 | -1 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Doug Martin | 135 | 2 | 1 | -3 | -7 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -6 | -7 | -5 | -4 | -1 | -1 |
| Knile Davis | 134 | -3 | -6 | -5 | -6 | -8 | -10 | -6 | -4 | -5 | -4 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| LeGarrette Blount | 125 | -4 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Ben Tate | 119 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -8 | -7 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -3 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 |
| Jerick McKinnon | 113 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Ronnie Hillman | 106 | 2 | 0 | -4 | -3 | -5 | -7 | -2 | -2 | -1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| Anthony Dixon | 105 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | -3 | -4 | -6 | -6 | -4 | -1 | 1 |
| Toby Gerhart | 101 | 1 | -2 | 2 | -4 | -9 | -10 | -8 | -3 | 0 | -1 | -3 | -3 | -1 |
| Average | 90 | 81 | 69 | 55 | 42 | 32 | 24 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
Let us know your thoughts in the comments! My lone comment: Matt Asiata’s heat map is a thing of beauty.
References
| ↑1 | Note that I took an average of the averages approach; in other words, I am placing the same weight on DeMarco Murray’s runs as Toby Gerhart‘s when calculating league average, rather than count Murray’s runs nearly four times as much because he had nearly four times as many carries. |
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