The 59 Best Individual NFL Seasons in the Last 25 Years
Players With an AV of 20
There are a total of 19 players making up 21 seasons who have produced a single season worth an AV of 20.
| Player | Team | Year | Player | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmitt Smith | Cowboys | 1992 | Ray Lewis | Ravens | 2003 |
| Emmitt Smith | Cowboys | 1993 | Ahman Green | Packers | 2003 |
| Jerry Rice | 49ers | 1993 | Daunte Culpepper | Vikings | 2004 |
| Barry Sanders | Lions | 1994 | Peyton Manning | Colts | 2006 |
| Emmitt Smith | Cowboys | 1995 | Randy Moss | Patriots | 2007 |
| Marvin Harrison | Colts | 1999 | Arian Foster | Texans | 2010 |
| Randall Godfrey | Titans | 2000 | Patrick Peterson | Cardinals | 2011 |
| Jeff Garcia | 49ers | 2000 | Drew Brees | Saints | 2011 |
| Rich Gannon | Raiders | 2000 | Cam Newton | Panthers | 2015 |
| Kurt Warner | Rams | 2001 | Aaron Donald | Rams | 2015 |
| Jimmy Smith | Jaguars | 2001 |
Of this group, seven are quarterbacks, four are running backs, four are wideouts and four are defenders. Among those are all-time greats Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders.
The long-time Cowboys running back had an AV of 20 in three seasons, and in those he ran for an average of 1,657.3 yards, 17.3 touchdowns and 4.4 yards per carry. Each of those three seasons resulted in Super Bowl wins for the Cowboys.
As for Rice, in his '93 campaign, he caught 64.1% of his targets with 98 catches, 1,503 yards and 15 scores. For that, he was named Offensive Player of the Year.
Sanders, on 331 rushes, accounted for 1,883 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also caught 44 balls for another score, totaling 2,166 yards on the year, on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.
