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Mario Bates

Retired

Detroit Lions · RB

Mario Bates recorded 97 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 7 rostered seasons with Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints.

▶Best highlights

31.4

rush yds/gm

4.3

rec yds/gm

2

playoff games

97

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A provisional five-game introduction to Mario Bates's most significant indexed performances.

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints

Regular Season · Sep 21, 1997

162 rush yds · 2 rush TD · 0 rec

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints

Regular Season · Nov 13, 1994

141 rush yds · 2 rush TD · 3 rec

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

LOS ANGELESRAMS

New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams

Regular Season · Dec 4, 1994

96 rush yds · 3 rush TD · 0 rec

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

NEW ENGLANDPATRIOTS

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots

Regular Season · Dec 3, 1995

123 rush yds · 2 rush TD · 0 rec

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

New Orleans Saints vs New York Giants

Regular Season · Dec 15, 1996

129 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 2 rec

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Mario Bates's indexed NFL box scores.

Career high: 162 rushing yards

NEW ORLEANSSAINTS

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints

Regular Season · Sep 21, 1997

162 rush yds · 2 rush TD · 0 rec

Career high: 3 rushing touchdowns

Divisional Round

ARIZONACARDINALS

MINNESOTAVIKINGS

Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings

Divisional Round · Jan 10, 1999

3 rush yds · 3 rush TD · 0 rec

Career high: 17 carries

ARIZONACARDINALS

GREEN BAYPACKERS

Arizona Cardinals vs Green Bay Packers

Regular Season · Jan 2, 2000

64 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 3 rec

Career high: 37 receiving yards

MINNESOTAVIKINGS

Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Oct 1, 2000

1 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 3 rec

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Mario Bates's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1987–1999

Linebacker defense delivers the first winners

New Orleans Saints · The Dome Patrol

Jim Mora's defense sent four linebackers to the Pro Bowl and ended the franchise's wait for winning seasons and playoff football.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1988–2003

Aeneas Williams

A new market waits for a stable winner

Arizona Cardinals · Finding a home in Arizona

The move to the desert brought only one playoff appearance in sixteen seasons, though Williams became an all-time defender and Plummer authored a memorable upset in Dallas.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1999–2008

A painful rebuild reaches rock bottom

Detroit Lions · From Barry's exit to 0–16

Sanders retired abruptly and years of poor roster construction culminated in the league's first 0–16 season.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

7 NFL seasons97 career games21 career passing yards1 career passing touchdowns3,048 career rushing yards38 career rushing touchdowns65 career receptions419 career receiving yards8 career solo tacklesJersey: 312 playoff appearancesFirst appearance: Sep 4, 1994Most recent: Dec 24, 2000

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history