Terrell to 2,000, 12/23/98

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NFL-76 12/23/98

RUSHING TO HISTORY: TERRELL TO 2,000

Denver Broncos running back TERRELL DAVIS can match a feat this Sunday accomplished only three times in the 79-year history of the NFL – 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Davis has rushed for 1,830 yards this season, and with 170 against the Seattle Seahawks this week, will reach 2,000 for the year. He has rushed for 170 yards or more eight times in his career, including three 200-yard games, with one coming this year on October 11 (208 yards).

The four-year pro would become the second player in as many years to reach 2,000 yards.

Davis would join running backs ERIC DICKERSON, who rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984; BARRY SANDERS, with 2,053 last season; and O.J. Simpson, with 2,003 yards in 1973, as the only players in league history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Following is a game-by-game comparison of Dickerson, Sanders and Simpson in the years they reached 2,000 yards, and Davis this season:

GAME	DICKERSON	SANDERS	SIMPSON	DAVIS
1	21-138-1	15-33-0	20-250-2	22-75-2
2	27-102-0	10-20-0	22-103-1	23-191-3
3	23-49-0	19-161-0	24-123-0	28-104-0
4	22-89-1	18-113-0	27-171-1	21-119-1
5	22-120-0	28-139-0	22-166-2	20-168-2
6	19-107-2	25-107-0	14-55-0	30-208-1
7	20-175-0	24-215-2	39-157-2	31-136-3
8	24-145-1	24-105-1	20-79-0	27-149-2
9	13-38-0	23-105-0	20-99-1	20-69-1
10	21-208-0	15-105-1	20-120-0	18-111-1
11	28-149-2	19-108-0	15-124-1	31-162-1
12	25-132-0	24-216-2	24-137-0	24-74-0
13	28-191-3	19-167-3	22-219-1	24-88-3
14	33-149-1	30-137-1	34-200-1	28-147-1
15	27-215-2	19-138-0	--	16-29-0
16	26-98-1	23-184-1	--	??
TOTALS	379-2,105-5.6-14	335-2,053-6.1-11	332-2,003-6.0-12	363-1,830-5.0-21

TERRELL DAVIS’ 1998 ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

September 13 (vs. Dallas) -- Became the third player in NFL history with two touchdown runs of 50 or more yards in the same quarter when he scored from 63 and 59 yards on consecutive first-quarter carries.

October 4 (vs. Philadelphia) -- Reached the 5,000-yard rushing mark in his 50th career game – faster than all but three players in NFL history.

October 25 (vs. Jacksonville) -- Became the third player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in the first seven games of a season (JIM BROWN, Cleveland, 1958; O.J. Simpson, Buffalo, 1973 and ’75).

November 29 (vs. San Diego) -- Became the second player in league history with 1,500 rushing yards in three consecutive seasons, joining Sanders (1994-97).

ATOP THE CAREER CHARTS:

With four total touchdowns Sunday, Davis would set the NFL record for most TDs in a season, topping EMMITT SMITH’s 25 in 1995.

With his rushing yardage and touchdown runs (21) this season, Davis has moved into elite company. He has the best rate of touchdown runs per game in NFL history (minimum 50 career TD runs), and ranks second in career rushing yards per game (minimum 2,000 career yards). Following are the top fives in those categories:

Career Rushing Yards/Game		Career TD Runs/Game
Jim Brown	104.3	Terrell Davis	.93
Terrell Davis	103.9	Jim Brown	.90
Barry Sanders	100.2	Emmitt Smith	.88
Eric Dickerson	90.8	Steve Van Buren	.83
Emmitt Smith	89.9	Pete Johnson	.69