We all knew Stevie Wonder was a fantastic RB, and that he appears to be our back of the future. It kind of snuck up on me that he was actually as good as he is. He’s the #3 back in the AFC in rushing yards, trailing only Thomas Jones and fellow rookie Chris Johnson… but that’s not the stat I’m most excited to bring you.
Check this out – who leads the AFC in yards-per-carry with a minimum of 70 rushing attempts? That’s right, it’s Steve Slaton. He’s averaging an eye-popping 5.1 YPC.
Even more impressive – when you extend the minimum 70 carries to the entire NFL? Slaton trails only two backs from the best offensive line in the NFL: Brandon Jacobs (5.4), and Derrick Ward (5.3).
How ridiculous is that? Steve Slaton is #3 in the NFL in yards per carry, with a minimum of 70 carries!
We all had high hopes that Slaton would contribute in his rookie season, but I don’t think even the most fervent Slaton (or West Virginia) fan could have foreseen the immensity of his impact (uh, you know – not including wins and losses). I know stats aren’t everything, and they never tell the whole story – but come on – this guy is unbelievable.
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Nov 20, 2008 at 16:34:18
I hated the pick when they first made it. I thought he was washed up after his poor showing in his last year at WVU, and that he was too soft of a runner to make it in the NFL. Took just a couple preseason games for him to prove me wrong, I love watching this guy attack defenders for the tough yards yet still have the moves to break 70 yard runs.
He’s definitely one of the steals of the draft. I’m proud to have him as a Texan.