Going strong at 30

There have been 46 1,000-yard rushing seasons by NFL players 30 or older. Adrian Peterson turned 30 in March. The top seasons by a 30+ running back:

Team Age Year Yards

Tiki Barber N.Y. Giants 30 2005 1,860*

Curtis Martin N.Y Jets 31 2004 1,697

embracing the passing Game

The NFL took a few decades to figure out this whole passing thing. Now waves of quarterbacks torture defenses through the air on a weekly basis. Here’s a look at the NFL yards-per-game average each season since 1932 as well as some notable accomplishments that occurred the past 82 years:

1932: Arnie Herber (Green Bay) leads the league with 639 passing yards. NFL per-game avg,: 55.2

1942: Cecil Isbell (Green Bay) becomes first to eclipse 2,000 yards. NFL per-game avg.: 123.7

1960: Johnny Unitas (Baltimore) becomes first 3,000-yard passer. NFL per-game avg.: 170.6

1967: Joe Namath (N.Y. Jets) eclipses 4,000 yards. NFL per-game avg.: 179.5

1981: YPG surpasses 200 for the first time. Dan Fouts (San Diego) leads the league with 4,802 passing yards. NFL per-game avg.: 204.4

1984: Dan Marino (Miami) becomes first to pass for 5,000 yards. NFL per-game avg.: 205.9

2014: League per-game average hits an all-time high of 236.8

Walter Payton Chicago 30 1984 1,684

Tiki Barber N.Y. Giants 31 2006 1,662

Corey Dillon New England 30 2004 1,635

* 13th-best in NFL history

last year’s 1,200-yard rushers

Peterson has eclipsed the 1,200-yard rushing mark every year he played in 14 or more games. Here’s a look at those who accomplished that feat last season.

Team Age Yards

DeMarco Murray Cowboys 26 1,845

Le’Veon Bell Steelers 22 1,361

LeSean McCoy Eagles 26 1,319

Marshawn Lynch Seahawks 28 1,306

Justin Forsett Ravens 29 1,266

Arian Foster Texans 28 1,246