NFL Week 9: Who's Hot, Who's Not at the RB Position

With everyone saying that this league is a passing league, the running backs have been proving people wrong with great games as the season progresses. 

There have also been numerous running backs who have faltered and continue to take a nosedive.  

So I will take a look at who is hot, or not this past week, and what to expect in Week 9.

Hot: LeSean McCoy

The key for the Eagles offense to be successful is to give the ball to LeSean McCoy. McCoy is a very talented running back who doesn’t seem to get the hype as the other running backs in this league. 

This week, the Eagles faced off against the division-rival Cowboys and McCoy was dominant. The Eagles continued to run on Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware’s side. McCoy made the right cuts at the right time accumulating 185 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry leading everyone with a minimum of 100 carries this season.

If the Eagles want to make the playoffs and show the world that they are a great team then they must continue to give McCoy the ball. McCoy will face a Chicago Bears defense that has been struggling against the run this season on Monday Night Football and should have a great game.

Hot: Frank Gore

As the season progresses, Frank Gore has gotten better. His cuts and speed are elite this season, and it seems like nobody can stop him as of late. His running ability has allowed quarterback Alex Smith to have a good season and set up the play-action.  

Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Gore carried the ball 31 times for 134 yards and a touchdown. Jim Harbaugh knows that Gore gets better with more carries and continued to call plays for him. It took more than one Browns player to bring Gore down this past Sunday. Alex Smith continued to throw the ball down the field as the Browns defense focused on Gore. 

The 49ers will be heading into Washington this week to face the Redskins who have been giving up a lot of yards on the ground as of late. Gore will surely dominate against this team as he pounds the ball.

Hot: Fred Jackson

Fred Jackson has continued his stellar play with another 100-yard game against a solid Washington Redskins defense. This was also Jackson’s fifth 100-yard game in seven games this season. He has also been one the better receiving running backs this season.  

Against the Redskins, Jackson tallied up 120 yards on 26 carries with 76 receiving yards and continues to bring balance to Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense. This is Jackson’s fifth year in the league is finally proving to everyone that he is a legit back in this league. He currently ranked seventh overall for you fantasy football buffs.  

Look for Jackson to continue the trend of dominating the ground game against the Jets this coming week.

Hot: Reggie Bush

Okay, I know that Reggie Bush has never really been hot as a running back in this league. Coming into Sunday’s game, Reggie Bush had only one 100-yard running game which was against the the New York Giants. This Sunday against the Giants, Bush got his second 100-yard game. He racked up 103 yards on only 15 carries.  

The Giants defensive line is one of the best in the NFL and Bush did very well. Although I don’t think he will get another 100-yard game until his team plays the Giants again, I thought I’d give some love to one of the most exciting college players that I have ever seen. Bush is not an every-down back but he can get a lot of yards per carry when the situation is right. 

Don't expect Bush to be hot for a while. 

Hot: Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson signed his huge contract this offseason and has been proving his worth this season. He leads the league in rushing yards and is giving rookie quarterback Christian Ponder a safety blanket on offense. 

In Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, Peterson rushed for 86 yards on 21 attempts with a touchdown, but his 76 yards receiving showed how talented he really is. He also caught a touchdown in this game. 

Peterson continues to be the best running back in the league with the ability to run between the tackles, catch out of the backfield and change speeds when needed. He continues to get stronger as the season progresses and with a rookie quarterback behind center, look for Peterson to get a lot more carries.

Look for Adrian Peterson to be the focal point in the offense against the ball-hawking division-rival Packers after the bye this week. He is hands down the best running back in the league.

Not: Ryan Matthews

Ryan Matthews started the season off with solid games on the ground and catching the ball, but lately he has tailed off. After racking up only 39 yards against the Jets last week, Matthews gained only 57 yards against the Chiefs this week. He also had a fumble lost in this game.The main problem has been that Norv Turner is continuing to rely heavily on Philip Rivers and the passing game. Rivers has struggled a lot this season.

I believe that Matthews has the talent to be one of the better backs in the league but he needs to get more carries. Rivers has thrown a lot of interceptions this season and one way to cut down on the turnovers is to give Matthews the ball. Look for Matthews to carry to the ball a lot against the Packers in Week 9.

Not: Colts Running Backs

The Colts are an atrocious team and look like front-runners for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Joseph Addai has been beat up this season and missed the game against the Titans. So the Colts had a running back by committee with Delone Carter and Donald Brown.

Carter had 46 yards on nine carries while Brown had 33 yards on 10 carries. The two could not get anything done on the ground to help quarterback Curtis Painter, who has been struggling all season. 

The Colts are hoping they will have Addai back against the Falcons this week who have the seventh-ranked rushing defense in the league. If Addai doesn’t play, then look for the Colts to do nothing on the ground and lose another one.

Not: DeAngelo Williams

DeAngelo Williams is another player who received his big contract this offseason and does not seem to care to play well. Before this contract, Williams was a workhorse type of back but this season, he has been a dud. He has only one 100-yard rushing game with only one touchdown for the whole season. 

Williams rushed for 26 yards on seven carries against the Vikings this past week. Coach Rivera does not seem to have any confidence in Williams and is more inclined to give Jonathan Stewart more carries. 

I am not sure if DeAngelo Williams is struggling through some sort of injury, but a bye this upcoming week is much needed as they face a tough Titans defense the week after. Hopefully he can recuperate or get his mind right to turn his season around.

Not: Maurice Jones-Drew

Maurice Jones-Drew is in his sixth season and has been on of the top running backs in the league. This season he has had his ups and downs with six fumbles this season. It doesn’t help that Jones-Drew has a rookie quarterback behind center who has been awful this season. Teams have stacked the line in order to stop Maurice this season and it has been difficult for him. 

This week Jones-Drew was not hot and had only 63 yards on 18 carries. He continued to get stuffed at the line of scrimmage against the tough front seven of the Texans. 

The Jaguars have a bye this week and will need it to give Maurice some rest as they play the lowly Colts in Week 10. I fully expect Maurice Jones-Drew to run wild and be hot after the bye.

Not: Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson got his big-money contract and has not lived up to it. Its the classic tale of not working hard anymore after getting paid. The sad part of it is that the Titans are a pretty good team with a stout defense and a Matt Hasselbeck who has resurrected his career. The Titans need Johnson to get the running game going if they want to sneak into the playoffs. 

This season Johnson is averaging 2.8 yards per carry, which is a far cry from averaging 4.9 yards a carry in his previous three seasons. Against the lowly Colts, Johnson gained 34 yards on 14 carries with his longest carry going for 11 yards. He has had only one 100-yard game this season and has had numerous carries for losses this season. 

With a shortened training camp, a new coach and quarterback, and the negativity of holding out, Johnson has been sluggish and horrendous this season. Don’t look for Chris Johnson to play any better this week as he faces the second-best rushing defense in the Cincinnati Bengals.

Johnson better start playing better or he will be bench for Javon Ringer who has been solid.