Triplets, Trifectas, or Trios?

LOOKING BACK
by John Turney

In 2014 Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, Antionio Brown  totaled 1148 touches of the football, twelve short of the all-rime record set by Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison in 2000. For our purposes the total includes passes and runs by the quarterback, runs and catches by the running back and catches plus any runs by the leading receiver.

Stats, LLC. used to publish yearly annuals with these totals, but not recently, therefore we've gone back and done the totals our way and updated it through 2014.

Credit Colts.com

Manning and his cohorts have several places on those trios (including first all-time) who have reached  the 1000 mark in total touches, doing so with Edgerin James, Marshall Faulk as well with Denver in 2013. The Steelers are are  on a fine run in this category, only the suspension of Bell would keep them off this list in 2015. 

Credit: Panani

Credit: Ebay

Credit: Comc.com

The Rams were only 8-8 when their "Triple Threats Threds" had 1135 total touches in 2006. Drew Bledsoe, like Peyon Manning has several entries with a couple of teams on this list. The mid-1990 Lions with Barry Sanders, Herman Moore with Scott Mitchell really put the ball into just a few hands and were in the playoffs a few times. Workhorse James Wilder and Steve DeBerg have their team from thirty years ago on this list, in the top 10. Brett Favre, like Manning and Bledsoe had several appearances on this "over-1000 touches list). The 1999 Rams missed this list, but rank very high in the years gained by a trio from that year, in 2000 an injury to Kurt Warner likely kept the off. But in 2001 they had exactly 1000 touches and also rank high in the total yards of a triplet or trio.

credit: Comccom

Credit: Players, Inc

Credit: Topps, graphic by PFJ

Credit:NFLPA/NFL

One of the bigger surprises is the early 2000s New Orleans Saints making this list three times with trigger man Aaron Brooks and receiver Joe Horn. Once was with running back Ricky Williams, the other two  with Duech McAlister. In 2010, Sam Bradford was a rookie, Amendola was essentially a rookie with steady Steven Jackson and took a team that had 6 wins from 2007-2009 to a respectable 7-9 record in 2010 and are 12th all-time in terms of trio touches. Also, in a 30-year old  (1984) performance Neil Lomax, Ottis Anderson and Roy Green gave a huge performance that also ranks high on the total yards by three players list.

The original "Triplets" Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin appear twice on the list and Air Coryell with Fouts, Chuck Muncie and Kellen Winslow make an appearance, as kind of forerunners to the trio or triplet theory.

Credit: Comc.com

Credit: Panini

Credit: National Treasures

Credit: Leaf

Credit: Topps

Credit: Ebay

Credit: NFL Properties

The 2001 Rams had exactly 1000 total touches, but ranked very high in the yards gained by a trio. In 2000 a hand injury to Kurt Warner likely left them of the list and in 1999 they were below 1000 touches but very high in the yard gained, giving them top marks for efficiency.

Credit: Panini