The Pittsburgh Steelers will more than likely need three solid starts at the beginning of the 2015 season out of veteran running back DeAngelo Williams unless starter Le’Veon Bell has his suspension reduced via the appeal process.
Even though he’s now on the wrong side of 30, Williams doesn’t have the typical amount of mileage on him that is often associated with veteran running backs his age. Because of that, he should still be able to produce a few explosive plays in the Steelers offense in 2015 as long as he can stay healthy.
Even though Williams only played in six games last season with the Carolina Panthers, you might be surprised to know that he and Chris Johnson both have the most explosive touchdowns (20 yards or more) by running backs since 2006, which was Williams’ rookie season.
Here’s something else to consider about Williams’ career big play ability. Since 2006, only four other running backs who have 600 or more touches have a better explosive play percentage. As you probably guesses, Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles are two of those players.
History proves that explosive play differential is a big part of winning and losing football games and while Bell is sidelined for the Steelers, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t expect Williams to produce two or three plays of 20 yards or more during his absence.
Sortable Running Back Explosive Play Stats 2006-2014 (minimum 600 touches)
| PLAYER | TCH | RSH | RSH YDS | RSH AVG | RSH TD | REC | REC YDS | REC AVG | REC TD | TOT | TOT YDS | TOT AVG | TOT TD | PER TCH % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Peterson | 2279 | 94 | 3355 | 35.7 | 22 | 17 | 526 | 30.9 | 1 | 111 | 3881 | 35.0 | 23 | 4.87% |
| C.J. Spiller | 911 | 32 | 1140 | 35.6 | 6 | 12 | 361 | 30.1 | 2 | 44 | 1501 | 34.1 | 8 | 4.83% |
| Justin Forsett | 826 | 32 | 968 | 30.3 | 3 | 6 | 181 | 30.2 | 0 | 38 | 1149 | 30.2 | 3 | 4.60% |
| Jamaal Charles | 1562 | 47 | 1838 | 39.1 | 13 | 24 | 763 | 31.8 | 5 | 71 | 2601 | 36.6 | 18 | 4.55% |
| DeAngelo Williams | 1655 | 58 | 1983 | 34.2 | 20 | 15 | 537 | 35.8 | 6 | 73 | 2520 | 34.5 | 26 | 4.41% |
| Darren Sproles | 1383 | 21 | 642 | 30.6 | 2 | 40 | 1283 | 32.1 | 10 | 61 | 1925 | 31.6 | 12 | 4.41% |
| Jerious Norwood | 640 | 15 | 600 | 40.0 | 4 | 12 | 374 | 31.2 | 2 | 27 | 974 | 36.1 | 6 | 4.22% |
| Brian Westbrook | 1160 | 26 | 697 | 26.8 | 6 | 22 | 741 | 33.7 | 6 | 48 | 1438 | 30.0 | 12 | 4.14% |
| Le’Veon Bell | 662 | 12 | 406 | 33.8 | 2 | 15 | 484 | 32.3 | 0 | 27 | 890 | 33.0 | 2 | 4.08% |
| Chris Johnson | 2194 | 72 | 2610 | 36.3 | 21 | 16 | 561 | 35.1 | 5 | 88 | 3171 | 36.0 | 26 | 4.01% |
| Darren McFadden | 1252 | 35 | 1143 | 32.7 | 5 | 15 | 436 | 29.1 | 1 | 50 | 1579 | 31.6 | 6 | 3.99% |
| LeSean McCoy | 1761 | 47 | 1535 | 32.7 | 12 | 22 | 686 | 31.2 | 1 | 69 | 2221 | 32.2 | 13 | 3.92% |
| Frank Gore | 2642 | 76 | 2462 | 32.4 | 13 | 26 | 716 | 27.5 | 3 | 102 | 3178 | 31.2 | 16 | 3.86% |
| Arian Foster | 1618 | 40 | 1292 | 32.3 | 5 | 22 | 768 | 34.9 | 3 | 62 | 2060 | 33.2 | 8 | 3.83% |
| Mike Tolbert | 710 | 13 | 339 | 26.1 | 0 | 14 | 407 | 29.1 | 2 | 27 | 746 | 27.6 | 2 | 3.80% |
| DeMarco Murray | 1106 | 35 | 1108 | 31.7 | 2 | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 0 | 41 | 1253 | 30.6 | 2 | 3.71% |
| LeGarrette Blount | 759 | 25 | 833 | 33.3 | 7 | 3 | 96 | 32.0 | 0 | 28 | 929 | 33.2 | 7 | 3.69% |
| Jonathan Stewart | 1188 | 36 | 1125 | 31.3 | 7 | 7 | 195 | 27.9 | 1 | 43 | 1320 | 30.7 | 8 | 3.62% |
| Matt Forte | 2260 | 47 | 1600 | 34.0 | 8 | 33 | 1023 | 31.0 | 4 | 80 | 2623 | 32.8 | 12 | 3.54% |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | 1754 | 40 | 1355 | 33.9 | 12 | 22 | 683 | 31.1 | 4 | 62 | 2038 | 32.9 | 16 | 3.53% |
| Ray Rice | 1806 | 35 | 1292 | 36.9 | 6 | 28 | 888 | 31.7 | 4 | 63 | 2180 | 34.6 | 10 | 3.49% |
| Michael Turner | 1670 | 54 | 1872 | 34.7 | 8 | 4 | 142 | 35.5 | 1 | 58 | 2014 | 34.7 | 9 | 3.47% |
| Derrick Ward | 634 | 18 | 546 | 30.3 | 3 | 4 | 145 | 36.3 | 0 | 22 | 691 | 31.4 | 3 | 3.47% |
| Felix Jones | 841 | 16 | 559 | 34.9 | 5 | 13 | 411 | 31.6 | 1 | 29 | 970 | 33.5 | 6 | 3.45% |
| Joique Bell | 613 | 9 | 289 | 32.1 | 1 | 12 | 352 | 29.3 | 0 | 21 | 641 | 30.5 | 1 | 3.43% |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 1314 | 35 | 1097 | 31.3 | 3 | 10 | 325 | 32.5 | 0 | 45 | 1422 | 31.6 | 3 | 3.42% |
| Fred Jackson | 1673 | 29 | 900 | 31.0 | 4 | 28 | 868 | 31.0 | 2 | 57 | 1768 | 31.0 | 6 | 3.41% |
| Alfred Morris | 913 | 28 | 771 | 27.5 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 23.3 | 0 | 31 | 841 | 27.1 | 6 | 3.40% |
| Donald Brown | 750 | 14 | 535 | 38.2 | 3 | 11 | 335 | 30.5 | 1 | 25 | 870 | 34.8 | 4 | 3.33% |
| Willie Parker | 1029 | 30 | 920 | 30.7 | 2 | 4 | 99 | 24.8 | 2 | 34 | 1019 | 30.0 | 4 | 3.30% |
| Pierre Thomas | 1227 | 16 | 464 | 29.0 | 6 | 24 | 654 | 27.3 | 2 | 40 | 1118 | 28.0 | 8 | 3.26% |
| Ryan Grant | 1049 | 27 | 880 | 32.6 | 8 | 7 | 236 | 33.7 | 1 | 34 | 1116 | 32.8 | 9 | 3.24% |
| Brandon Jacobs | 1188 | 30 | 902 | 30.1 | 4 | 8 | 276 | 34.5 | 2 | 38 | 1178 | 31.0 | 6 | 3.20% |
| Fred Taylor | 755 | 20 | 756 | 37.8 | 4 | 4 | 114 | 28.5 | 1 | 24 | 870 | 36.3 | 5 | 3.18% |
| Reggie Bush | 1831 | 30 | 980 | 32.7 | 8 | 27 | 834 | 30.9 | 4 | 57 | 1814 | 31.8 | 12 | 3.11% |
| Marshawn Lynch | 2272 | 44 | 1451 | 33.0 | 10 | 26 | 703 | 27.0 | 1 | 70 | 2154 | 30.8 | 11 | 3.08% |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | 2287 | 51 | 1753 | 34.4 | 13 | 19 | 600 | 31.6 | 1 | 70 | 2353 | 33.6 | 14 | 3.06% |
| Doug Martin | 655 | 15 | 574 | 38.3 | 5 | 5 | 194 | 38.8 | 1 | 20 | 768 | 38.4 | 6 | 3.05% |
| Chris Ivory | 659 | 19 | 688 | 36.2 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 20 | 711 | 35.6 | 5 | 3.03% |
| Steven Jackson | 2753 | 56 | 1781 | 31.8 | 13 | 27 | 819 | 30.3 | 1 | 83 | 2600 | 31.3 | 14 | 3.01% |
| Danny Woodhead | 602 | 3 | 87 | 29.0 | 3 | 15 | 410 | 27.3 | 1 | 18 | 497 | 27.6 | 4 | 2.99% |
| Marion Barber | 1179 | 26 | 706 | 27.2 | 3 | 9 | 290 | 32.2 | 1 | 35 | 996 | 28.5 | 4 | 2.97% |
| Eddie Lacy | 607 | 11 | 373 | 33.9 | 1 | 7 | 261 | 37.3 | 2 | 18 | 634 | 35.2 | 3 | 2.97% |
| Rashard Mendenhall | 1183 | 25 | 816 | 32.6 | 2 | 10 | 245 | 24.5 | 0 | 35 | 1061 | 30.3 | 2 | 2.96% |
| Larry Johnson | 1049 | 24 | 821 | 34.2 | 0 | 7 | 225 | 32.1 | 1 | 31 | 1046 | 33.7 | 1 | 2.96% |
| Ladell Betts | 645 | 7 | 155 | 22.1 | 0 | 12 | 295 | 24.6 | 0 | 19 | 450 | 23.7 | 0 | 2.95% |
| Julius Jones | 924 | 19 | 600 | 31.6 | 5 | 8 | 250 | 31.3 | 1 | 27 | 850 | 31.5 | 6 | 2.92% |
| Chester Taylor | 991 | 19 | 665 | 35.0 | 4 | 9 | 270 | 30.0 | 1 | 28 | 935 | 33.4 | 5 | 2.83% |
| Knowshon Moreno | 1035 | 13 | 332 | 25.5 | 2 | 16 | 445 | 27.8 | 3 | 29 | 777 | 26.8 | 5 | 2.80% |
| Kevin Smith | 721 | 12 | 336 | 28.0 | 1 | 8 | 239 | 29.9 | 2 | 20 | 575 | 28.8 | 3 | 2.77% |
| Tim Hightower | 651 | 13 | 429 | 33.0 | 3 | 5 | 112 | 22.4 | 0 | 18 | 541 | 30.1 | 3 | 2.76% |
| Michael Bush | 914 | 18 | 587 | 32.6 | 5 | 7 | 243 | 34.7 | 0 | 25 | 830 | 33.2 | 5 | 2.74% |
| Ryan Mathews | 1069 | 24 | 683 | 28.5 | 7 | 5 | 152 | 30.4 | 0 | 29 | 835 | 28.8 | 7 | 2.71% |
| Josh Cribbs | 852 | 6 | 171 | 28.5 | 0 | 17 | 493 | 29.0 | 3 | 23 | 664 | 28.9 | 3 | 2.70% |
| Clinton Portis | 1078 | 22 | 642 | 29.2 | 3 | 7 | 248 | 35.4 | 0 | 29 | 890 | 30.7 | 3 | 2.69% |
| Ricky Williams | 770 | 14 | 466 | 33.3 | 4 | 6 | 208 | 34.7 | 1 | 20 | 674 | 33.7 | 5 | 2.60% |
| Beanie Wells | 653 | 11 | 376 | 34.2 | 1 | 6 | 160 | 26.7 | 0 | 17 | 536 | 31.5 | 1 | 2.60% |
| Laurence Maroney | 703 | 11 | 372 | 33.8 | 4 | 7 | 203 | 29.0 | 0 | 18 | 575 | 31.9 | 4 | 2.56% |
| Stevan Ridley | 679 | 15 | 393 | 26.2 | 1 | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 0 | 17 | 437 | 25.7 | 1 | 2.50% |
| Ronnie Brown | 1296 | 17 | 572 | 33.7 | 1 | 15 | 378 | 25.2 | 1 | 32 | 950 | 29.7 | 2 | 2.47% |
| Mark Ingram | 635 | 14 | 387 | 27.6 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 15 | 410 | 27.3 | 3 | 2.36% |
| Cadillac Williams | 893 | 17 | 447 | 26.3 | 3 | 4 | 88 | 22.0 | 1 | 21 | 535 | 25.5 | 4 | 2.35% |
| Rashad Jennings | 694 | 8 | 300 | 37.5 | 3 | 8 | 193 | 24.1 | 0 | 16 | 493 | 30.8 | 3 | 2.31% |
| Willis McGahee | 1646 | 28 | 957 | 34.2 | 10 | 8 | 247 | 30.9 | 1 | 36 | 1204 | 33.4 | 11 | 2.19% |
| Maurice Morris | 827 | 15 | 497 | 33.1 | 3 | 3 | 92 | 30.7 | 1 | 18 | 589 | 32.7 | 4 | 2.18% |
| Ben Tate | 614 | 12 | 370 | 30.8 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 13 | 393 | 30.2 | 2 | 2.12% |
| Trent Richardson | 727 | 4 | 107 | 26.8 | 2 | 11 | 244 | 22.2 | 1 | 15 | 351 | 23.4 | 3 | 2.06% |
| Warrick Dunn | 805 | 13 | 424 | 32.6 | 2 | 3 | 94 | 31.3 | 0 | 16 | 518 | 32.4 | 2 | 1.99% |
| Leon Washington | 1128 | 13 | 458 | 35.2 | 5 | 9 | 319 | 35.4 | 0 | 22 | 777 | 35.3 | 5 | 1.95% |
| Shonn Greene | 1065 | 16 | 435 | 27.2 | 4 | 4 | 115 | 28.8 | 0 | 20 | 550 | 27.5 | 4 | 1.88% |
| Thomas Jones | 1754 | 26 | 876 | 33.7 | 6 | 6 | 142 | 23.7 | 0 | 32 | 1018 | 31.8 | 6 | 1.82% |
| Peyton Hillis | 840 | 7 | 208 | 29.7 | 2 | 8 | 284 | 35.5 | 0 | 15 | 492 | 32.8 | 2 | 1.79% |
| Cedric Benson | 1652 | 24 | 680 | 28.3 | 5 | 4 | 146 | 36.5 | 0 | 28 | 826 | 29.5 | 5 | 1.69% |
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | 1061 | 13 | 391 | 30.1 | 1 | 4 | 119 | 29.8 | 0 | 17 | 510 | 30.0 | 1 | 1.60% |
| Justin Fargas | 810 | 12 | 366 | 30.5 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 0 | 13 | 387 | 29.8 | 0 | 1.60% |
| Rudi Johnson | 635 | 8 | 175 | 21.9 | 1 | 2 | 67 | 33.5 | 1 | 10 | 242 | 24.2 | 2 | 1.57% |
| Jamal Lewis | 1113 | 15 | 476 | 31.7 | 2 | 2 | 59 | 29.5 | 0 | 17 | 535 | 31.5 | 2 | 1.53% |
| LenDale White | 671 | 9 | 307 | 34.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 9 | 307 | 34.1 | 1 | 1.34% |
| Joseph Addai | 1286 | 9 | 246 | 27.3 | 1 | 7 | 238 | 34.0 | 4 | 16 | 484 | 30.3 | 5 | 1.24% |
| Edgerrin James | 917 | 5 | 131 | 26.2 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 0 | 6 | 157 | 26.2 | 1 | 0.65% |
| DeShaun Foster | 623 | 4 | 114 | 28.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 114 | 28.5 | 1 | 0.64% |
