The NFL Record That Running Backs Can't Touch

Published on September 8th, 2025 12:28 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Seventeen straight games. That was the number Lenny Moore hit when he found the end zone in every contest he played between 1963 and 1965. A running back with wide receiver speed, Moore built his reputation as one of the most dangerous dual threats of his era.

Moore wasn't just padding stats in garbage time. He was Baltimore's spark. In the middle of the Johnny Unitas-led Colts offense, Moore could run out of the backfield, line up wide, or take a short pass and go 70 yards. Defenses didn't have an answer.

His touchdown streak started late in 1963. By the time 1965 rolled around, he had scored in 17 straight appearances. That included rushing touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, and the kind of versatility no modern backfield really uses anymore.

It's easy to look at today's NFL and assume someone might challenge it. Players like Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara are dangerous in similar ways. But usage patterns, defensive schemes, and injury management make this streak almost impossible now. Coaches rotate players constantly. Backs rarely stay on the field every snap. The passing game dominates, but touchdowns get spread across wide receiver rooms and red zone packages.

What makes Moore's run even wilder is context. He was 30 years old in 1963, thought to be past his prime. Instead, he had a late-career surge that carried him into the Hall of Fame. When the streak finally ended, he had stacked 19 total touchdowns over those 17 games.

No running back has come close since. The modern record for consecutive games with a touchdown sits at 14, set by LaDainian Tomlinson in 2004-05. Wide receivers? The longest streak is 13. Quarterbacks are the only ones consistently stacking streaks, but they score through the air, not on the ground.

Seventeen straight games. Nearly sixty years later, it still stands. That's why Lenny Moore's name belongs on the short list of unbreakable NFL records.