[End of Year update: Seattle finished the season with 2,762 rushing yards on 525 carries, good enough for a 5.26 YPC average. The Seahawks allowed just 1,304 yards on 380 carries, which translates to a 3.43 YPC average. Therefore, the 2014 Seahawks averaged 1.83 more yards per carry than they allowed; that’s the second best differential since the merger, and just a behind the ’63 Browns for the third best since 1950.]

Last season, the Seahawks posted the best ANY/A differential in the NFL. In fact, it was the 9th best ANY/A differential of any team since the merger, and Seattle wound up becoming the 5th team in the top ten in that statistic to win the Super Bowl.

You heard all about Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and the great Seahawks pass defense, and it’s not as though Russell Wilson was flying under the radar, either. But this year, the Seahawks are recording even more extreme statistics in a different differential stat.

Yards per carry is super overrated: Danny Tuccitto did a nice job revealing that just a couple of days ago. But hey, I love trivia, so let’s move on.

Seattle ranks 1st in the NFL in yards per carry (5.08). Marshawn Lynch is at 4.2 YPC on 132 carries, but it’s Wilson’s 7.6 yards per carry average on 52 carries that sets the Seahawks apart. But the defense — so unstoppable against the pass in 2013 — ranks 1st in this metric, too. Seattle is allowing just 3.19 yards per carry this year; if it holds, that would be the best mark since the 2010 Steelers.

Combine, though, is where the Seahawks really stand out. Seattle has a 1.89 YPC differential, defined as YPC for the offense minus YPC allowed for the defense. How good is that? If it holds, it would be the 2nd best mark since 1950:

Rk Tm Year Record Win % YPC (Off) YPC (Def) Diff 1 MIN 2007 8-8 0.5 5.33 3.13 2.21 2 SEA 2014 5-3 0.625 5.08 3.19 1.88 3 CLE 1963 10-4 0.714 5.74 3.9 1.83 4 RAM 1984 10-6 0.625 5.29 3.56 1.73 5 ATL 2006 7-9 0.438 5.47 3.75 1.72 6 SFO 1954 7-4-1 0.625 5.65 3.94 1.71 7 SDG 1963 11-3 0.786 5.57 3.88 1.69 8 DET 1997 9-7 0.563 5.51 3.89 1.62 9 BAL 2000 12-4 0.75 4.3 2.69 1.62 10 NYG 1950 10-2 0.833 4.54 2.93 1.6 11 DET 1994 9-7 0.563 5.12 3.64 1.49 12 JAX 2006 8-8 0.5 4.95 3.48 1.48 13 DTX 1962 11-3 0.786 5.03 3.56 1.46 14 MIN 2012 10-6 0.625 5.42 3.96 1.46 15 BAL 2003 10-6 0.625 4.84 3.43 1.42 16 CLE 1958 9-3 0.75 5.32 3.92 1.39 17 PHI 2013 10-6 0.625 5.13 3.77 1.37 18 SFO 2012 11-4-1 0.719 5.06 3.7 1.36 19 STL 1960 6-5-1 0.542 4.87 3.52 1.34 20 KAN 1966 11-2-1 0.821 5.18 3.84 1.34 21 BOS 1961 9-4-1 0.679 4.31 2.97 1.33 22 PIT 1976 10-4 0.714 4.55 3.22 1.33 23 DET 1989 7-9 0.438 4.88 3.57 1.31 24 DAL 1974 8-6 0.571 4.53 3.22 1.3 25 MIN 2006 6-10 0.375 4.12 2.83 1.29 26 MIN 2011 3-13 0.188 5.17 3.9 1.27 27 BAL 2009 9-7 0.563 4.7 3.43 1.27 28 PHI 1990 10-6 0.625 4.73 3.47 1.26 29 PIT 1979 12-4 0.75 4.64 3.38 1.26 30 STL 1999 13-3 0.813 4.78 3.52 1.26 31 PIT 2001 13-3 0.813 4.78 3.53 1.26 32 NYJ 2014 1-8 0.111 4.73 3.48 1.26 33 PHI 2010 10-6 0.625 5.43 4.17 1.25 34 DTX 1961 6-8 0.429 4.97 3.72 1.25 35 DET 1981 8-8 0.5 4.69 3.46 1.23 36 ATL 2004 11-5 0.688 5.1 3.87 1.23 37 PIT 1972 11-3 0.786 5.07 3.85 1.22 38 SFO 1999 4-12 0.25 5.01 3.8 1.21 39 OAK 1973 9-4-1 0.679 4.59 3.38 1.21 40 DAL 1966 10-3-1 0.75 4.51 3.3 1.2 41 SFO 1988 10-6 0.625 4.79 3.6 1.19 42 BAL 2007 5-11 0.313 4.03 2.84 1.19 43 MIN 2008 10-6 0.625 4.49 3.32 1.18 44 BUF 1992 11-5 0.688 4.44 3.27 1.17 45 DET 1951 7-4-1 0.625 4.49 3.32 1.17 46 CLE 1952 8-4 0.667 4.53 3.37 1.16 47 NYG 1951 9-2-1 0.792 3.49 2.33 1.16 48 BUF 1973 9-5 0.643 5.1 3.95 1.15 49 DAL 1971 11-3 0.786 4.39 3.24 1.15 50 OAK 1996 7-9 0.438 4.77 3.62 1.15 51 SFO 1953 9-3 0.75 5.03 3.89 1.14 52 SEA 2005 13-3 0.813 4.73 3.6 1.14 53 RAI 1987 5-10 0.333 4.63 3.49 1.13 54 JAX 2003 5-11 0.313 4.31 3.18 1.13 55 STL 2001 14-2 0.875 4.87 3.75 1.12 56 DAL 1968 12-2 0.857 4.36 3.24 1.12 57 SFO 1998 12-4 0.75 5.18 4.08 1.11 58 BUF 1966 9-4-1 0.679 4.16 3.06 1.1 59 BUF 1964 12-2 0.857 4.15 3.04 1.1 60 KAN 1995 13-3 0.813 4.38 3.28 1.1 61 NWE 1978 11-5 0.688 4.72 3.62 1.09 62 BOS 1966 8-4-2 0.643 4.17 3.08 1.09 63 SDG 1990 6-10 0.375 4.66 3.57 1.09 64 DEN 1998 14-2 0.875 4.7 3.62 1.09 65 CLE 1950 10-2 0.833 4.57 3.49 1.08 66 DAL 1973 10-4 0.714 4.46 3.38 1.08 67 MIA 1973 12-2 0.857 4.97 3.9 1.08 68 MIN 2002 6-10 0.375 5.3 4.23 1.07 69 PIT 2010 12-4 0.75 4.08 3.02 1.07 70 PIT 1997 11-5 0.688 4.33 3.27 1.06 71 SDG 1998 5-11 0.313 3.76 2.7 1.06 72 IND 1985 5-11 0.313 5.03 3.98 1.05 73 NYG 2008 12-4 0.75 5.02 3.97 1.04 74 RAM 1956 4-8 0.333 5.15 4.11 1.04 75 DET 1984 4-11-1 0.281 4.52 3.48 1.04 76 BAL 1971 10-4 0.714 4.2 3.16 1.04 77 DEN 2002 9-7 0.563 4.96 3.93 1.03 78 CHI 1986 14-2 0.875 4.46 3.43 1.03 79 KAN 1964 7-7 0.5 4.4 3.37 1.03 80 NYJ 2013 8-8 0.5 4.38 3.35 1.02 81 PIT 1974 10-3-1 0.75 4.43 3.41 1.02 82 NYJ 2008 9-7 0.563 4.75 3.73 1.02 83 CLE 1966 9-5 0.643 5.22 4.21 1.01 84 RAM 1971 8-5-1 0.607 4.65 3.64 1.01 85 OAK 1967 13-1 0.929 4.21 3.21 1 86 WAS 2012 10-6 0.625 5.22 4.22 1 87 NWE 1976 11-3 0.786 4.99 4 0.99 88 DET 1980 9-7 0.563 4.54 3.56 0.98 89 CLE 1960 8-3-1 0.708 5.04 4.06 0.98 90 GNB 1960 8-4 0.667 4.64 3.67 0.97 91 SDG 1991 4-12 0.25 4.84 3.87 0.97 92 RAM 1973 12-2 0.857 4.44 3.47 0.97 93 CLE 1967 9-5 0.643 4.82 3.85 0.97 94 GNB 1971 4-8-2 0.357 4.46 3.49 0.97 95 SDG 2005 9-7 0.563 4.46 3.49 0.96 96 GNB 1962 13-1 0.929 4.75 3.79 0.96 97 DET 1970 10-4 0.714 4.14 3.18 0.96 98 CLE 1954 9-3 0.75 3.77 2.82 0.94 99 TEN 2009 8-8 0.5 5.19 4.26 0.94 100 PIT 1996 10-6 0.625 4.38 3.44 0.94

As Seattle is finding out this year, being dominant in ANY/A differential is better than being dominant in YPC differential. If you need more convincing, take a look at the #32 team on the list.