NFL: Top 15 Running Backs of 2011

The record-setting 2011 season was definitely the year of the QB.  However, the contributions of running backs cannot be ignored in the process.  None of the running backs shattered seemingly unreachable records like New Orleans’ Drew Brees or Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, but there were several performances worth noting.

The running back position, more so than any other position in the league, can fluctuate in performance out of the top backs year-to-year depending on circumstances and health—similar to relievers in baseball. 

One year, a guy like Adrian Peterson can be the consensus best running back in football, and the next he can barely make the top 10.  It is interesting how from year to year, especially from a fantasy perspective, there is no sure bet for a top running back that you can build around on your fantasy football team.

Last year, guys like Peyton Hillis and LaGarrette Blount burst onto the scene with dominant performances that would have made a list like this.  This year, however, neither performed at a level high enough nor long enough to repeat. 

Guys like Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson came out of nowhere to perform at near-elite levels after being considered backups or change-of-pace backs in the past.

Who do you think would make a top 15 list based on this year alone?  With some consideration of the past, here is how I saw it:

15. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys

Murray did not have the sexiest cumulative stats, but when he played he was dominant. 

He is easily the most productive of the many talented running backs that the Cowboys have run out there in the last five years or so.  He only had 10 or more carries in seven games this season, and he made his way over 100 yards in three of them. 

His breakout game was against the Rams in Week 7 when he ran for 253 yards on 25 carries.  Prior to that game, he was limited to a backup role behind Felix Jones, who was expected to do some breaking out of his own this year. 

Instead, Murray put up astounding numbers that a running back simply cannot do without major talent.  He finished the season with 897 yards, averaging a very impressive 5.5 yards per carry.

14. Stephen Jackson, Rams

Stephen Jackson has somehow found a way to fly below the radar the last few years, despite his consistent success as a runner for the good part of the last decade.  He has been injured and nicked up a couple years here and there, but if not for his franchise being so irrelevant the last several years, Stephen would get a lot more publicity for his consistent efforts. 

This season, despite his team's struggles to sustain the success they had last year, Jackson ran for 1,145 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.  That rushing total was good for ninth in the league this season. 

Jackson has had better years, but this rushing total fits right in the middle of his best outputs since he became the full-time starter in 2005. 

Most impressive about his track record is that he has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in every season he has started at RB for the Rams. 

Only in his rookie season (2004) did he not rush for 1000 yards.  In that season, he only started three games.  Jackson has just been a model of consistency and deserves some mention as a top running back this year even though very little has been said about his contribution for the struggling St. Louis Rams.

13. Fred Jackson, Bills

Early in the season, there was some evidence pointing towards him being an MVP candidate in the NFL.  He started off the season on fire, leading the league in rushing and registering five 100-yard games through seven games. 

Given the opportunity to carry the full rushing load as the lead back for the high-powered Bills offense, Jackson took advantage and was quite impressive.  His big games included a 120-yard performance against the champs (NYG) and 100-yard games against the Raiders and Eagles. 

In fact, he ran for 100 yards against every opponent in the vaunted NFC East.  That is very impressive.

It looked as if Jackson would challenge for the rushing title and at least finish in the top five, but all of those hopes came to a close in Week 11 against the Dolphins.  As the Bills were in a process of a monumental collapse after a promising start, Jackson suffered a season-ending injury that would close the books on him with 934 yards. 

He rushed for an impressive 5.5 yards per carry and would have certainly been in the mix at the end among the league leaders in rushing with a 1,000-yard season.

12. Adrian Peterson, Vikings

In most years, it would be an absolute joke to put a player like Adrian Peterson in the 12 spot of a list of running backs.  He is a consensus elite player and regarded by most as the best running back in the league coming into the season. 

With Brett Favre completely out of the picture this year, it looked as if the Vikings would return their focus solely on the run.  That appeared to be the plan until Peterson started to battle injuries during the second half of the season, culminating in a season-ending ACL injury during the last game of the season against Washington. 

It was sad to see one of the game’s superheroes get injured in a meaningless game so late in the season, but this is part of the life of a running back. 

AP had easily surpassed 1,000 yards in all of his previous seasons, but this year injuries kept him out of the 1,000-yard club for the first time in his career.  He ran for 970 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and scoring a very impressive 12 touchdowns, which was tied for third in the league behind LeSean McCoy and Cam Newton. 

Those are still respectable stats, but, assuming he makes a full recovery, he should be able to bounce back to the top next season.

11. Reggie Bush, Dolphins

This choice is a little bit curious because he has in some ways defined the word “bust” since leaving USC. 

Despite coming nowhere close to the lofty expectations that come with a storybook, almost video game-looking college career, Reggie has been an effective player in this league. 

With the exception of last year, if healthy, he has been an important piece of the success of every team he has played for thus far.  Unfortunately, when it came time to up the ante on his contract with the Saints, the Saints politely declined. 

Reggie is not a classic running back, but he has always been blessed with game-breaking speed, playmaking ability and an ability to catch the ball exceptionally out of the backfield. 

While the Saints were able to replace him with a player that may even be better at that role than he was, Bush quietly “took his talents to South Beach” and put up the best rushing numbers of his career.  He eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time with 1,086 yards and averaged 5.0 yards on 216 carries. 

Prior to this point, the myth was that Bush could not run in between the tackles and certainly could not man the main ball carrying responsibilities.  He proved that wrong, helping spark the Dolphins to a strong finish.  He rushed for 100 yards in each of the last four games, including a 203-yard performance against Buffalo. 

The question is, can he sustain this and will the Dolphins invest in him as their main option?

10. Willis McGahee, Broncos

Willis revived himself from the dead this season and reestablished himself as one of the top backs in the league. 

Amidst all of the “Tebowmania” and Tebow hype, Willis found a way to help sustain the Bronco offense to a point where they could win and move the chains while Tebow struggled.  He rushed for 1,199 yards, averaging a respectable 4.8 yards per carry.  

If not for Tebow’s ability to score around the goal line, McGahee would have had more touchdowns than the four he posted. 

As has been the case throughout his career, he did struggle through some nagging injuries, but none of them set him back significantly.  This 1,000-yard season was his first since his first year in Baltimore in 2007.  At that point in his career, he had rushed for 1,000 in three of his first four years. 

Just when people were ready to write him off, he has been able to return to relevancy as a RB.  His 249 carries this year, the most since that '07 season, reflect how important he was to the “Tebow Time” offense—an offense that often stayed in games or was positioned to win despite Tim Tebow’s lackluster performances through the first three quarters. 

He looked very strong carrying the ball and resembled the tremendously talented back that came out of the “U” in 2003. 

9. Frank Gore, 49ers

McGahee’s backup at the U in 2002, Frank Gore had a tremendous season this year.  He played as big a part as any player in the 49ers' awesome turnaround this year under Jim Harbaugh.  While Alex Smith came along this year and was solid, it was Gore’s production in the offense that truly kept the 49ers in games and helped them win in most cases. 

Gore ran for 1,211 yards on 282 carries for a 4.3 YPC average.  He got in the end zone eight times, which lands him in the top 15 as well.  This year was his most productive since his breakout year in 2006, despite the fact that he has gone over 1,000 in five of his seven campaigns in the pros. 

He did not have many monster games, but he did eclipse 100 yards five times, including a 141-yard output in the huge Week 6 win against the Lions.  He was just steady and reliable, which was what the 49ers needed this season to complement their outstanding defense and special teams. 

8. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks

Up until his legendary run in the playoffs against the Saints last year, Marshawn had largely fallen off the face of the earth for the last few years since his initial success in Buffalo. 

He needed a year like this year to justify the talent he had coming out of Cal in 2007.  He has had bouts with the law and injuries that rendered him ineffective since his first two years in Buffalo when he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his first two years.

This year, after barely getting over 500 yards in the last three seasons, Marshawn was nothing short of impressive in toting the ball 283 times for the Seahawks.  He amassed 1,204 yards and was third in the league with 12 touchdowns.  He was an absolute load at the goal line, scoring in 10 of the 16 games this year. 

That helped the Seahawks a lot given their inept passing game around the goal line.

His most memorable play of his season, which in a sense demonstrated the type of back he is, was his “beast mode” run against the Eagles in Week 13, which was also his best output of the season (148 yards). 

He is a punishing and relentless runner that will not go down easy and will put pressure on the defense to wrap up and make plays on him. 

7. Darren Sproles, Saints

This one may surprise you, but if you watched the Saints and the Chargers this year, you’d have to agree with me on this one.  His stats don’t always show it, and he is not technically a starter, but Sproles’ all-around game rivals that of any other back in the league. 

He was a huge part of Drew Brees’ record-breaking season, and his absence in San Diego possibly had an equally large effect on Philip Rivers’ sub-par season.

Despite his tiny stature, he provides an offense with a reliable outlet receiver that can move the sticks and make big plays at any point during the game.  He is huge at converting third downs, is a phenomenal special teams player and he can even run the ball in between the tackles and gain yards for you as well. 

He is not as underrated as he used to be, but his presence on the list still may raise some eyebrows.

This season he ran for 603 yards on just 87 carries, which was good for 6.9 yards per carry!  With just that short sample of carries, he still managed to rank in the top 15 in the league in runs over 20 yards with seven rushes of that variety. 

Regarding receptions, he bailed out Brees more than his share of times and caught 86 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns.  That is awfully impressive for a running back that is not even on the field every down.  

His 2,696 all-purpose yards, including his 1,089 return yards, easily led the league by a large margin over Pittsburgh’s MVP Antonio Brown (2,211) and set the NFL single-season record, which was set by Derrick Mason in 2000. 

Sproles is as important a running back as there is in the league—as any coach in the game will admit—but it just does not seem as obvious because his contributions are so varied.  Both Rivers and Brees have made mention of what he means to their success, so he deserves mention on this list.

6. Michael Turner, Falcons

Few running backs have been as steady in this league as Michael Turner has been over the course of his career in Atlanta after leaving the Chargers in free agency in 2008. 

It goes to show how talented the Chargers were when he was in San Diego, as both he and Sproles were on the roster at the same time as backups to LaDainian Tomlinson for a while there. 

With the exception of his injury-riddled 2009 season, Turner has not just cracked 1,000 yards, but he has smashed it each year, reaching at least 1,300 in each of those years.  This year he ran for an impressive 1,340 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.  He had a respectable 4.5 yard per carry average as well. 

It’s safe to say that he is an important part of the Atlanta Falcons’ success on offense.  He is reliable, he fumbles infrequently and he has been over 300 carries in every year as a starter except for that 2009 season.  He allows Matt Ryan to run the play action and make some of his throws comfortably. 

He is not the sexiest-looking back in the league, but he is big and hard to get down.  His momentum seems to always be going forward, and he is always a threat to break a big run.  His largest output of the season was 172 yards against Tampa Bay in the last game of the season.  He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in five other games as well.

5. Matt Forte, Bears

Matt Forte’s stats do not warrant a ranking this high.

But if you look at the impact that he had until he got injured in Week 13 and his yards from scrimmage totals through the first half, which were pushing Marshall Faulk status, you have to acknowledge him as one of the game’s elite backs last year. 

Including the game against the Chiefs in which he got hurt, the Bears did not win another game after he went down with a MCL injury. 

When he did play, however, Forte was the heart and soul of the Bears offense that had reached new levels this year before he and Jay Cutler got injured.  He rushed for 997 yards while averaging 4.9 YPC. 

His touchdown total was low due to the Bears opting to go with Marion Barber at the goal line, but he was second in the league with 12 rushes of over 20 yards.  His big-play ability was a lightning rod for the Bears offense and provided that balance that allowed Cutler to have his best year as a Bear. 

What made Forte special, however, was his receiving ability.  He caught 52 passes in his shortened season and amassed 1,487 yards from scrimmage.  There is a chance that if he kept up his pace from the first half of the season he could have challenged Chris Johnson’s record. 

He had games of 205 yards rushing against Carolina in a Week 4 win and a 117-yard receiving game in Week 2 loss to the Saints.  It was a solid season for Forte, and his impact on the team was greater than his output this season.

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles

Some may argue he was the best back in football. In fact, if you judge him by his fantasy football prowess, he may well have been. But there is nothing wrong with top-five consideration. 

McCoy had by far his best year as a professional this year; he ran wild for 1,309 yards and scored a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns.  He averaged a solid 4.8 YPC as well. 

McCoy has an elite combination of speed, shiftiness and a sprinkling of power that make him very difficult to tackle.  As a result, he led the league with 14 rushes of 20 yards or more. 

McCoy rushed for 100 yards in six games, including a 185-yard outburst against the rival Cowboys, the two games against the champions, the stout Jets run defense and the Redskins.  McCoy is still in his running back prime, and it seems that, barring injury, he will only get better. 

It’s very fitting that he is on the Eagles, who position-by-position may be the fastest team in football.

3. Ray Rice, Ravens

There may not be a running back that has been steadier as an elite back in this league than Ray Rice.  Consistently he puts up huge rushing totals and yards from scrimmage numbers, and this year was no different. 

Rice rushed for 1,364 yards this season, scored 12 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.7 YPC.  He has had six 100-yard games including a 200-yard performance against Cleveland in Week 15. 

That alone would qualify to be an elite contribution, but he also has been very reliable for Joe Flacco as a receiving option to move the chains. 

He caught 76 passes for 710 yards this season! 

Predictably, he led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,068 yards, edging second place by almost 100 yards.  He rarely had big gains or even big games receiving-wise, but he could be counted on for a few catches every game to relieve pressure on Flacco. 

He is short, has a low center of gravity, has good vision and is VERY strong.  This allows him to constantly get key yards that have been valuable to the Ravens over the years. 

2. Arian Foster, Texans

Going into this season, both from a real life and fantasy perspective, there was a growing opinion that Foster was the best back in the game.  He had such a great year last year and took the league by storm. 

However, going into this year, coming out of the lockout, he suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason.  This set him back a bit, as he was unable to play anywhere close to 100 percent. And then the Texans made the conservative and correct decision to hold him back for a while until he was fully healthy. 

This had ramifications from a statistical standpoint. But it paid great dividends to the team; they played as well as anyone prior to Matt Schaub’s injury, and, when Foster did come back in Week 4 for good, he was 100 percent. 

At that point, he did not have to worry about retweaking it like he did in Week 2 vs. Miami, and he played at the level we are accustomed to him playing at. 

Given that the Texans were run oriented this year, having him at his best was crucial to their success. They were on top of the conference in the middle of the season and ultimately clinched their first playoff berth.

Although his YPC average was a bit anemic at 4.4, he was able to carry the ball 278 times for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns.  He had seven 100-yard games, including two 150-yard outputs against the Steelers and the Colts. 

Given the amount of focus placed on him by defenses (and the fact that he shared carries with Ben Tate this year), that is impressive—he only played 12 full games this year. 

He’s such a talented back due to his speed and ability to find holes that allow him to break free.  He is without a doubt a great back.

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

I have been skeptical about MJD in the past, but he has made me regret it based on his performances in the last couple years.  He has been one of the most productive running backs over the course of the last several years, similar to Rice, even though he has often been on teams that are not as competitive as he’d hope, including this year. 

After ending last year early due to injury, he bounced back this year with a vengeance.  He led the league with 1,606 yards, eight touchdowns and a respectable 4.7 YPC.  He is the only running back in the league to average 100 yards per game this year, and he also threw 42 catches into the mix. 

He toted the ball an amazing 343 times, which normally is recipe for disaster in the years following, not mention he is coming off of knee surgery last year.  When he did not rush for 100 yards, which he did six times, he often ended up in the 80s or 90s, which still qualifies for quality rushing efforts. 

Most impressive is that he was only under 85 yards one time this year—against the Texans in Week 8 when he ran for 63 yards. 

He did not have a bunch of big rushing outputs either.  His only game well above 100 was his 169-yard effort in the last week of the season against Indy. 

MJD just had a great year and was a bright light in a sad situation down in Jacksonville.  It’s debatable whether or not he is the best back in the league today, but there is no question he had the best season in 2011. 

Honorable Mentions

Darren McFadden, Ryan Matthews, Beanie Wells