Ranking the NFL's 12 Best Running Back Tandems in 2014 so Far

The NFL has seen its fair share of strong running back tandems over the years, and this year is no different as several teams have multiple running backs making noise.

Making plays on the ground or coming through in the passing game, some running backs are finding ways to make a name for themselves by bringing versatility. When multiple running backs from the same team can contribute, the offense has a special backfield group and a reliable one-two punch.

In this slideshow, we will rank the 12 best running back tandems across the league. Most teams listed have two key running backs, while a couple have managed to get help from three running backs. Find out who those teams are and where they rank.

12. Minnesota Vikings

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Matt Asiata: 62 rushes for 231 yards and three touchdowns

Jerick McKinnon: 30 rushes for 166 yards

Vikings total rushing: 142 rushes for 650 yards and six touchdowns

2014 hasn’t been a kind year to the Minnesota Vikings. The team decided to keep Adrian Peterson inactive while he deals with off-the-field issues, and the team has started three different quarterbacks under center already. The running back position has been the only bright spot for the offense.

Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon were unknowns during the first three games but stepped up in Week 4 when the two combined for 213 rushing yards against the Atlanta Falcons.

Minnesota isn’t showing any signs of winning a lot of games this season, but the running game is fun to watch and is something the Vikings can build off of in the future.

11. Cleveland Browns

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Terrance West: 54 rushes for 235 yards and two touchdowns

Ben Tate: 28 rushes for 164 yards

Isaiah Crowell: 33 rushes for 160 yards and three touchdowns

Browns total rushing: 127 rushes for 573 yards and five touchdowns

Since Ben Tate’s injury in Week 1, rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell were given the task to fill in and help Cleveland’s offense while splitting duties.

West and Crowell each average more than four yards per carry and have combined for five touchdown runs on the season. With Tate now back, Cleveland’s rushing attack is even stronger, as he provides veteran leadership in the backfield.

Tate ran for 123 yards to lift the Browns to a one-point victory over the Titans this past week.

The biggest downfall, however, is that the three halfbacks have combined for only six receptions. If quarterback Brian Hoyer can get players from the backfield more involved in the passing game, it helps him out and makes the offense a lot better.

10. Atlanta Falcons

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Steven Jackson: 63 rushes for 238 yards and two touchdowns

Antone Smith: 11 rushes for 121 yards and two touchdowns

Falcons total rushing: 123 rushes for 577 yards and six touchdowns

After eight consecutive years running for 1,000 yards, Steven Jackson took a new role when he joined the Falcons last year. But even at 31 years old, Jackson is showing he can still get it done when his name is called.

His season high in rushing is only 54 yards from Week 3 against Tampa Bay, but he manages to contribute when he is needed while splitting the duties.

Antone Smith caught some attention when he ran the ball four times and gained 50 yards against Tampa Bay. He got four more carries and came away with 62 yards against the Vikings the following week. Although he had just one carry against the Giants, he caught three passes for 83 yards and a touchdown this past week.

Smith, who has had a quiet four years coming into 2014, has been a viable factor for the team, scoring in four of Atlanta’s five games so far.

9. Indianapolis Colts

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Ahmad Bradshaw: 49 rushes for 250 yards

Trent Richardson: 70 rushes for 240 yards and one touchdown

Colts total rushing: 152 rushes for 589 yards and three touchdowns

Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson have very identical numbers on the ground, but Bradshaw has made the most of his opportunities so far this season.

Indianapolis’ running backs aren’t known to score much, but it is made up for by Andrew Luck’s 14 touchdown passes on the season. However, the tandem has been key, as Bradshaw and Richardson each have picked up 10 first downs.

8. New England Patriots

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Stevan Ridley: 84 rushes for 317 yards and two touchdowns

Shane Vereen: 37 rushes for 212 yards and one touchdown

Patriots total rushing: 151 rushes for 610 yards and three touchdowns

Stevan Ridley has had an up-and-down season. His game-by-game success slightly mirrors the team’s. Ridley has rushed for 268 yards and two touchdowns in New England’s three wins compared to 49 yards in the team’s two losses.

Coming in to complement Ridley, Shane Vereen has 54 touches and is third on the Patriots in receptions with 17.

Even with the struggles the Patriots have gone through, the running game has been solid and the team is atop the AFC East with a 3-2 record.

7. New York Jets

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Chris Ivory: 59 rushes for 318 yards and two touchdowns

Chris Johnson: 48 rushes for 191 yards and one touchdown

Jets total rushing: 145 rushes for 696 yards and four touchdowns

Chris Johnson isn’t the running back we all remember him as back when he played for the Tennessee Titans. But with the Jets, he has found a new role and has formed one of the better one-two duos in the league.

Chris Ivory, struggling to stay healthy in New Orleans, had his best season in 2013, his first year with the Jets. At this rate, he could come close to beating the 833 rushing yards he had last year.

Despite the mishaps for the Jets this year, Johnson and Ivory together have provided a bright spot for the Jets, as they are third in the league in total rushing yards.

6. Baltimore Ravens

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Justin Forsett: 50 rushes for 297 yards and three touchdowns

Lorenzo Taliaferro: 38 rushes for 167 yards and two touchdowns

Bernard Pierce: 32 rushes for 143 yards

Ravens total rushing: 134 rushes for 628 yards and five touchdowns

Justin Forsett is the head man of a rushing offensive that uses three tailbacks to help carry the load, contributing to Baltimore’s 3-2 start to the season.

Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro own all of the rushing touchdowns for the Ravens while moving the chains a combined 26 times. Taliaferro stepped up in Bernard Pierce’s absence when he suffered a thigh injury against Indianapolis.

Taliaferro and Pierce both have rushed for at least 90 yards in a game this year. When Pierce returns, Baltimore’s rushing game will be even better and more difficult to stop.

5. New Orleans Saints

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Khiry Robinson: 61 rushes for 304 yards and two touchdowns

Mark Ingram: 24 rushes for 143 yards and three touchdowns

Pierre Thomas: 24 rushes for 120 yards and two touchdowns

Saints total rushing: 129 rushes for 665 yards and seven touchdowns

The New Orleans Saints lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns with seven on the year, doing so with three different running backs.

Leading the way, Khiry Robinson's total yards have only gone up each week. Robinson had 54 carries for 224 yards and a touchdown as a rookie in 2013, all numbers in which he’s already surpassed in his second year.

Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas have done their part on the ground, as Thomas has came through twice for the Saints in the rushing game. When Ingram returns, New Orleans’ offense will only get better.

Despite not having a 100-yard rusher this year, Saints fans know that is due to the running backs splitting the duties and assisting Drew Brees in the passing department.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Le’Veon Bell: 87 rushes for 460 yards and one touchdown

LaGarrette Blount: 29 rushes for 186 yards and two touchdowns

Steelers total rushing: 136 rushes for 686 yards and three touchdowns

In his second year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Le’Veon Bell has a big hand in making the Steelers a top-10 rushing team up to this point. Already on pace to pass his rookie total of 860 yards, Bell’s ran for 460 yards, the second-most among all players after five weeks.

In addition to having one of the best backs in the league, the Steelers get additional help on the ground from LaGarrette Blount. Despite a roller coaster four years in the NFL, Blount currently has the highest yards-per-carry average of his career at 6.4 yards per run.

Through the air and on the ground, Bell and Blount have combined to move the chains 44 times for Pittsburgh.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

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LeSean McCoy: 94 rushes for 273 yards and one touchdown

Darren Sproles: 25 rushes for 172 yards and two touchdowns

Eagles total rushing: 130 rushes for 493 yards and three touchdowns

Philadelphia’s running backs are one of the most versatile groups in the NFL. LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles are the only two running backs for the Eagles getting action on the ground. Even so, the two together do a lot of damage.

While known to be fast, McCoy and Sproles each have double-digit catches, aiding the Philadelphia offense in any way they can.

Under head coach Chip Kelly and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, McCoy and Sproles will continue to play at a high level for the remainder of 2014.

2. San Francisco 49ers

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Frank Gore: 77 rushes for 365 yards and one touchdown

Carlos Hyde: 34 rushes for 132 yards and two touchdowns

49ers rushing total: 162 rushes for 725 yards and three touchdowns

It may have been a rusty start to the year for Frank Gore. However, he has gotten into a rhythm recently with two consecutive 100-yard games against the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.

San Francisco’s offense is known to be versatile, thanks to Colin Kaepernick for making plays with his feet. But the 49ers have gotten help from another running back as well.

Rookie Carlos Hyde impressed the coaching staff in Week 1 with seven attempts for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. It has earned him more carries in the last two weeks. While working behind Gore, he’s added extra support to help the 49ers rush for 725 yards altogether, the second-most in the NFL.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

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Knile Davis: 73 rushes for 327 yards and three touchdowns

Jamaal Charles: 42 rushes for 195 yards and one touchdown

Chiefs total rushing: 146 rushes for 671 yards and five touchdowns

The statistics listed above aren’t enough to describe why the Chiefs have the best rushing tandem in the NFL. All five of Kansas City’s running backs have scored a touchdown this year.

While Jamaal Charles missed Week 3 against Miami due to an ankle sprain, Knile Davis and Cyrus Gray each ran for a touchdown as Joe McKnight (now out for the season with an Achilles injury) caught two touchdown passes in that game. Rookie De’Anthony Thomas made his debut this past week and scored a touchdown on his first career catch against the 49ers.

When Charles returned in Week 4, he and Davis combined for 199 rushing yards against the New England Patriots.

All of Kansas City’s scatbacks have tremendous speed and can benefit the offense greatly in the long run.

Where Are the Dallas Cowboys on This List?

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It is worth mentioning that the Dallas Cowboys have the best running game in the NFL with 800 total yards. You would think it deserves a spot on this list, but it does not. Here is why.

While DeMarco Murray is the best running back in the league, he is the only one consistently carrying the rock for the Cowboys. The Cowboys don't have anyone else, as he's collected 84 percent of the team's rushing yards.

Murray, leading the NFL with 670 yards and five touchdowns, deserves all the credit for carrying the load on the ground while also providing help in the passing game. But without a backup who consistently contributes, there is no tandem, which is why the Cowboys are not on this list.

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