Alex Collins or Obafemi Ayanbadejo? The NFL Stat Breakdown

This is as close as it gets. Alex Collins and Obafemi Ayanbadejo split the statistical categories evenly — 3 apiece — making this one of the most genuinely contested RB comparisons in NFL history. When the numbers are this balanced, the debate comes down to which statistics matter most to you.

Alex Collins's Rushing Yards of 1,997 compared to Obafemi Ayanbadejo's 413 represents a 383.5% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Obafemi Ayanbadejo falls 92.5% below the career average of 5500 in this category while Alex Collins exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Alex Collins's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Yards Per Carry, where Alex Collins posts 4.1 against Obafemi Ayanbadejo's 3.4 — a gap of just 20.6%. Obafemi Ayanbadejo can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 3-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Yards Per Carry is the statistical ammunition for the Obafemi Ayanbadejo side.

Running back careers are defined by efficiency as much as volume. Yards per carry separates elite backs from good ones, while receiving ability from the backfield has become increasingly valuable in the modern NFL.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. Alex Collins claims the tiebreaker through Rushing Yards advantage — a 383.5% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NFL debate.