NFL Week 13 Power Rankings: The Top 25 Running Backs
The NFL season is three quarters complete and the playoff picture is starting to take shape.
For those teams still in the hunt for a postseason Super Bowl run the presence of a decent ground game is essential.
In an attempt to rank the league's best running backs the following criteria, in order of importance, was used:
- Total rushing yards.
- Number of rushing touchdowns.
- Yards per carry was used a gauge of consistency.
- Number of runs greater than 20 yards was used to measure big play ability.
- Average number of carries per fumble.
The intent was to award a greater score to those running backs that were productive in gain yards, scoring touchdowns and holding onto the ball.
Here are the Top 25 running backs in the NFL through week 13:
No. 25: Danny Woodhead, New England Patriots
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New England's Danny Woodhead kicks off the ranking.
Woodhead has 355 yards on 66 attempts, three touchdowns and no fumbles.
Picked up by the Patriots only four days after the Jets waived him, Woodhead has played in 10 games for the Patriots and is currently second on the team in rushing.
No. 24: Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
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Michael Bush has 453 yards on 113 carries, both second most for the Oakland Raiders.
His five rushing touchdowns leads the Raiders, and he has yet to fumble the ball this season.
No. 23: Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
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The sixth-year veteran is currently 12th in the league in rushing with 853 yards.
However, he only has three touchdowns this season for the 49ers and has fumbled the ball three times.
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No. 22: Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals
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Cedric Benson currently leads the Cincinnati Bengals with 237 carriers and 837 rushing yards.
While he has six rushing touchdowns, his six fumbles are the most of any running back on this list.
So far on the season, he only has two runs of 20 yards or more.
No. 21: Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
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The fourth-year running back for the Buffalo Bills had rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2009 and is currently leading the team with 152 carries and 663 yards.
Fred Jackson has played in all 12 games so far for Buffalo and has rushed for five touchdowns and has three fumbles.
He has had only five rushes of 20 or more yards.
No. 20: Thomas Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
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An 11-year veteran, Thomas Jones leads the Chiefs with 187 rushes and is second on the team with 765 yards.
He has scored five touchdowns with only one fumble while playing in all 12 games for the first place Chiefs.
No. 19: Chris Ivory, New Orlean Saints
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Chris Ivory, a rookie free agent, leads the New Orleans Saints with 123 carries and 636 yards rushing.
He has played in 10 of the 12 games this season rushing for five touchdowns.
He averages 5.17 yards per carry but has also fumbled the ball four times this season.
No.18: LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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LeGarrette Blount may be best remembered for the punching incident while playing for the Oregon Ducks against Boise State in the opening game of the 2009 season.
Originally singed by Tennessee as rookie free agent, he was released on September 5th and signed by Tampa Bay a day later.
He's played in nine games for the Buccaneers and currently leads them with 134 rushes for 599 yards.
He has five touchdowns and only one fumble so far this season.
No. 17: LaDainian Tomlinson, New York Jets
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LaDainian Tomlinson, a 10-year veteran in his first year with the Jets, is part of a one-two punch in New York.
He currently leads the Jets with 176 carries and 788 yards. His five touchdowns also leads the team.
If Tomlinson can top the 1,000 mark this season, he will have achieved this feat nine of his 10 seasons, with 2009, his last in San Diego, the only year he failed to accomplish it.
No. 16: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
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In his third year, Matt Forte leads the first place Bears with 177 carries and 748 yards.
He also has five touchdowns on the season and has yet to put the ball on the ground.
No. 15: Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
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Darren McFadden is the second Raider in the ranking.
He leads Oakland with 176 carries and 870 yards. He is tied with Michael Bush with five touchdowns.
He also has nine rushes of 20 or more yards—the most so far in the ranking.
No. 14: Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
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Steven Jackson is currently ninth in the league in rushing with 985 yards on 260 attempts.
He leads the first place Rams in rushing and carries.
What drops him in the ranking is his 3.79 yards per carry—second lowest among the Top 25 running backs in this ranking.
No. 13: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
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LeSean McCoy, a second-year player from Pittsburgh, currently leads the first place Eagles with 168 carries, 823 yards and seven touchdowns, with only one fumble.
No. 12: Mike Tolbert, San Diego Chargers
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Mike Tolbert only has 625 yards rushing on 145 carriers to lead the San Diego Chargers.
This puts him at 24th in the league in rushing.
His nine touchdowns help raise his position in the ranking, while his three fumbles temper that rise slightly.
No. 11: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Maurice Jones-Drew is currently second in the NFL with 1,177 rushing yards for the first place Jaguars.
What drops him in this ranking is the fact he only has four touchdowns along with two fumbles.
Even though he leads Jacksonville in rushing, his 4.51 yards per carry is only 12th best in this ranking, and he only has seven runs of 20 or more yards.
No. 10: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
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Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns is currently 10th in the league in rushing with 962 yards on 217 carries.
He leads the Browns with 11 touchdowns, the second highest total among all running backs in this ranking.
What keeps him from rising higher in the ranking are his five fumbles and only four runs of 20 yards or more.
No. 9: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots
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BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the second New England Patriot to make the list.
With only 699 yards rushing, he is currently 19th in the league.
He leads the first place Patriots in rushing yards and attempts.
Like Peyton Hillis he has 11 touchdowns on the season.
However, unlike Hillis, Green-Ellis has yet to fumble the ball on 163 carries.
Along with only 699 rushing yards, the fact he has only three rushes of 20 or more yards keeps him from going any higher on this list.
No. 8: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
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Jamaal Charles is the second Chief to make the list.
His 1,137 yards leads Kansas City and is third best in the NFL.
What keeps Charles from cracking the Top Five is that he only has three touchdowns and has fumbled the ball twice.
No. 7: Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
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Brandon Jacobs is currently only 27th in the NFL in rushing with 577 yards.
He only has 100 carries in 12 games for the Giants, but he has seven touchdowns with only one fumble.
His 5.77 yards per carry is second highest among the running backs in this ranking.
No. 6: Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants
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Ahmad Bradshaw is the second New York Giant in the ranking.
His 1,103 yards is good for seventh in the league.
He leads all running backs with 11 runs of 20 yards or more, but what prevents him from being ranked higher is his six fumbles.
No. 5: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
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Michael Turner is currently fifth in the NFL with 1,062 yards rushing on 247 carries.
He leads the first place Falcons in carries, yards and touchdowns.
He has crossed the goal line eight times in 12 games and has yet to fumble the ball.
No. 4: Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh is currently eighth in the league in rushing and leads the Steelers with 1,007 yards on 257 carries.
What raises his position in the ranking are his nine touchdowns and only two fumbles.
He also has nine carries of 20 or more yards.
No. 3: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
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Adrian Peterson is currently fourth in the NFL with 1,123 yards rushing on 233 carries.
In all four of his seasons with the Vikings Peterson has topped the 1,000-yard mark.
What pushes him up slightly in the ranking are his 11 touchdowns and no fumbles.
No. 2: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
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Chris Johnson is currently sixth in the league in rushing.
He leads the Tennessee Titans with 226 carries and 1,.026 yards rushing.
Johnson is second among the ranked running backs with 10 runs of 2 0 yards or more and has nine touchdowns and only two fumbles.
No. 1: Arian Foster, Houston Texans
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Arian Foster of the Houston Texans currently leads the NFL with 1,230 yards rushing.
He also leads all running backs with 13 touchdowns and has nine runs of 20 yards or more.
So far this year, he has only fumbled the ball twice and is currently averaging five yards every time he carries the ball.
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