Week 2 Report Card for All 30 Starting NFL RBs

Here is a report card for each of the 30 starting running backs Sunday, and it is no surprise that Adrian Peterson received one of the highest grades  The running back position has been devalued in the NFL to some extent these days, but a good running back can still help a team win football games and take pressure off the quarterback.  

Oakland Raiders RB Darren McFadden

McFadden gets a B for his rushing performance Sunday in Buffalo, but an A for his combined numbers.  He ran the ball 20 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.  The reason for McFadden getting a B instead of an A here is because he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry.  His best numbers came in the passing game where he caught 7 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson

Jackson gets an A+ for his effort Sunday.  He led the Bills offense to 38 points with 117 yards on 15 carries.  He also scored twice.  Jackson wasn’t a guy that many people had at the top of their lists on fantasy draft day, but so far he has been one of the best running backs available.

Detroit Lions RB Jahvid Best

Best gets a B- for his rushing numbers on Sunday but an A for his complete effort.  He only rushed the ball for 57 yards on 16 carries, but he had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.  Best’s true value comes from the fact that he is a complete back.

Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles

Charles had to leave the game early because of an injury, but he was playing well before he went down.  He carried the ball twice for 27 yards.  He gets an I for the day because he wasn’t able to finish the game.

Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson

CJ gets a D for his performance Sunday.  The bar is higher when you get $30-plus million guaranteed, and Johnson didn’t earn that money on Sunday when he carried the ball 24 times for 53 yards.  2.2 yards per carry isn’t the home run threat CJ usually provides.

Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice

Rice was another guy that wasn’t really successful running the ball on Sunday, but put up pretty good numbers receiving.  He finished the day with 13 carries for 43 yards and five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.  Those numbers are good enough for a B for Rice.

Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis

Hillis earned an A on Sunday.  He carried the ball 27 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns.  He also added four catches for 23 yards.   Hillis is a grind it out type of runner, and he helped the Browns win the time of possession battle in a win over the Colts.

Indianapolis Colts RB Joseph Addai

Addai was better than normal on Sunday.  He finished the day with 64 yards on 14 carries.  He also added 37 yards receiving.  That adds up to a B for the day.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB LeGarrette Blount

Blount rebounded from a terrible performance last week to earn an A this week.  He carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards and scored twice.  5.5 yards per carry is solid for any running back, but is especially good for a bruiser like Blount.

Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson

AP did what AP does on Sunday.  The best running back in the league ran the ball 25 times for 120 yards and two scores.  He also caught two passes for 21 yards.   Those numbers are good enough to get him an A for his performance, even if they were not enough for the Vikings to get their first win.

Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte

Forte rushed the ball 10 times for 49 yards.  4.9 yards per carry is pretty solid, but Forte did his real damage as a receiver.  He caught 10 passes for 117 yards against the Saints.  Those combine numbers are good enough to earn Forte an A.

New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram

Ingram had a rough time on Sunday against the Bears.  He carried the ball 14 times for 51 yards and didn’t catch a single pass.  That gives him a C for the day.

Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew

MJD put up pretty good numbers on Sunday against a very tough New York Jets defense.  He carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and three passes for 19 yards.  Those numbers are good enough to earn him a B for the day.

New York Jets RB Shonn Greene

Greene earned a C on Sunday.  He ran the ball 16 times for 49 yards and caught two passes for six yards.  He did score a touchdown which helped his grade move from a C- to a C.

Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch

It is always tough for running backs to find running room against the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, and Lynch was no exception on Sunday.  He earned an F for his effort of six carries for 11 yards.  That isn’t exactly going to keep drives alive.

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall

Mendenhall scored early in his game, but that would turn out to be his only trip to the end zone.  He finished the day with 19 carries for 66 yards.  Those numbers are OK, but not good enough to earn him anything higher than a C+.

Arizona Cardinals RB Beanie Wells

Wells has been one of the surprises of the early NFL season.  He was really good on Sunday carrying the ball 14 times for 93 yards and a touchdown.  6.6 yards per carry will earn you an A every time.

Washington Redskins RB Tim Hightower

Hightower has made the most of his opportunity to be the No. 1 back in Washington.  His numbers weren’t great in Sunday’s contest, but 20 carries for 96 yards is a pretty solid day.  Hightower gets a B for his effort.

Green Bay Packers RB Ryan Grant

Grant started for the Packers on Sunday but ended the day with less carries than James Starks.  Grant finished the day with six carries for 25 yards.  That earns him a C for the day.

Carolina Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams

Williams was downright awful on Sunday.  He carried the ball five times for 13 yards.  That can’t be anything other than an F.

Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones

Jones also had his day ended early because of an injury, but unlike Charles, he wasn’t playing well before he went down.  He had carried the ball nine times for 25 yards and had just one catch for five yards.  He gets an I for the day.

San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore

Gore is another running back that got a contract extension in the offseason that hasn’t lived up to it.  On Sunday he rushed the ball 20 times for 47 yards and a touchdown.  That just isn’t good enough for a guy that is supposed to be the focal point of the 49ers offense.  He gets a C- for the game.

Cincinnati Bengals RB Cedric Benson

Benson gets a C for the day.  His numbers were just middle of the road.  He carried the ball 16 times for 59 yards and didn’t get in the end zone.

Denver Broncos RB Willis McGahee

McGahee might have stolen the job from Knowshon Moreno with his performance on Sunday.  He carried the ball 28 times for 101 yards and a touchdown.  That earns him an A for the day.

Houston Texans RB Arian Foster

Foster is another guy who was unable to finish the game because of an injury.  He was only able to carry the ball 10 times for 33 yards before re-aggravating the hamstring injury that kept him out of the Texans' Week 1 game.  He gets an I for the day.

Miami Dolphins RB Reggie Bush

Bush gets an F for the day.  He usually makes up for his lack of running ability with good receiving numbers, but both of those stats were terrible on Sunday.  He finished with just 29 yards from scrimmage.

San Diego Chargers RB Ryan Matthews

Matthews gets an A for his effort on Sunday.  He carried the ball 12 times for 64 yards and caught seven passes for 62 yards.  Those are good numbers for a guy that was considered a bust after a rough rookie year.  

New England Patriots RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis

Green-Ellis gets a solid B for his Sunday performance.  He carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards and a touchdown.  He was solid late in the game when the Pats were trying to run out the clock.

Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy

McCoy gets an A for his Sunday night performance.  He ended the game with 116 yards of total offense and two touchdowns.  Unfortunately for the Eagles, his efforts were not good enough with Michael Vick out with an injury.

Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner

Turner earned an A for his effort on Sunday night.  He had a long run of 61 yards and ended the night with 114 yards on 21 carries.  His efforts helped the Falcons knock of the Eagles in a battle between two of the NFC’s best.