NFL Week 8 Predictions: Which RBs Will Receive Heaviest Workloads?

The NFL has morphed into a pass-happy league. However, if there's one other thing we've learned, it's that running the football is still vital to a team's success. 

Top running backs deserve a lot of carries—I don't care who the quarterback is. 

These three runners should receive the biggest workloads in Week 8...

Adrian Peterson

Last week, the Vikings gave their monster running back 24 carries against the Packers. Unsurprisingly, he ran for 174 yards and scored a touchdown. 

Two weeks prior to that, he received 22 carries and scored three touchdowns, along with 122 yards in a win over the Cardinals. 

Sensing a trend here?

Minnesota faces a potent Panthers offense in Carolina this week. While conventional wisdom makes you believe they'll need to throw the football to keep up with Cam Newton, handing the ball to Peterson against one of the worst run defenses in the league is unquestionably their best bet.

Ray Rice

It's not that he'll be calling the plays, but Terrell Suggs' words weren't taken lightly by the Ravens coaching staff. 

He was making a very astute point. 

Ray Rice is Baltimore's best and most dangerous offensive player and he needs more than eight carries in a game. 

At home, against the struggling Arizona Cardinals defense, expect Rice's carries to return to where they should be. 

I expect 20-plus carries for the little ball of fury. He will definitely be used in the screen game as well.

Chris Johnson

I'm going out on a limb.

If the Tennessee Titans were willing to extend Johnson, don't they want to start getting some return on that investment?

It's not yet time to bench the guy. 

Tennessee faces the 31st-ranked run defense in the NFL on Sunday. If there's a game in which CJ2K will break out, it's at home against the Colts. 

The Titans should hand 20-plus carries to the talented but struggling runner this week.