Maurice Jones-Drew and 5 Best Friends for NFL Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks are dominating the NFL. Aaron Rodgers is enjoying a monstrous season, Drew Brees is on pace to shatter the record books again and Peyton Manning's absence has exposed a perennial playoff team that's now off to an 0-10 start.

Still, outside of Manning's Indianapolis Colts, apparently, quarterbacks can't do it all alone. A strong ground game leads to a loosened secondary, and alley-ooping it to a 6'5" receiver can make any passer look good.

That's why you won't find many quarterbacks who'd pass on an opportunity to throw the deep ball to Calvin Johnson or turn around and hand off to Adrian Peterson. Although there are only two guys who actually get to perform either of those tasks, here's a look at five other top safety nets.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Think it's nice handing off to a guy who's about to make his third straight Pro Bowl? Just ask Blaine Gabbert, who managed a meager 118 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 17-7 win over the 0-10 Indianapolis Colts. 

Without Maurice Jones-Drew chipping in 137 total yards and a touchdown of his own, a game that was tied at three at the half might have ended up tipping towards the Colts.

Gabbert and the Jags have now won two of their past three, with Jones-Drew going over 100 yards in both victories.

Denver Broncos Offensive Line

When your quarterback throws for well under 100 yards and completes only two passes, you don't expect a lot of smiles in the locker room after the game.

But when you also rack up 244 rushing yards on 55 carries, you end up with at least a chance. the Denver Broncos offensive line may be one of the youngest groups in the league, but they're starting to jell, and it looks like they've embraced the team's recent power-running philosophy. 

And, of course, it doesn't hurt that they've allowed only one sack in the Broncos' past two games, both divisional wins.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

When the Cardinals signed Kevin Kolb to a massive contract in the offseason, they kind of thought he'd be throwing a touchdown or two to Larry Fitzgerald. Instead, in only two games, the much cheaper John Skelton has already eclipsed Kolb's TD-to-Fitzgerald mark.

That's not a knock on Skelton, who's played well enough in two straight wins, but it speaks volumes about Fitzgerald's ability to quickly adapt to a different passer. Sure, he's worked with Skelton before, but after spending the entire season developing chemistry with Kolb, it's not easy to suddenly switch gears.

Well, not for most people. Fitzgerald, however, has grabbed 11 passes for 189 yards and three scores from Skelton in the past two games alone.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans

Okay, so he's more like a second-grade best friend who pouts about the other kids' lunches being better and takes it out on you by really phoning it in on those damn shoebox dioramas you were supposed to be doing as a group.

But every now and then, he reminds you of why you became friends in the first place and rolls up 174 total yards and a touchdown in an easy win over the Carolina Panthers.

Up to this point, Johnson had eclipsed the 100-yard mark only once this season (and it was against the Browns), but after some tweaks to the offense over the past two weeks, he's shown signs of improvement. 

How long he remains a viable option in the backfield is anyone's guess, and it's not like he burned the Baltimore Ravens, but for now, he's back on the Tennessee Titans' good side.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Most of the time, losing a receiver of Andre Johnson's caliber leads to a major offensive swoon. And although the Houston Texans certainly wouldn't have complained if Johnson had returned earlier, they fared pretty well without him. 

Their success wasn't immediate, however, but after dropping their first two games sans-Johnson, Houston's rattled off four consecutive wins, averaging 33 points during that stretch.

Foster's been no small part of that success, adding seven touchdowns, three 100-yard rushing games and two 100-yard receiving games since the winning streak began. He's on an MVP pace right now, and he'll only find more running room once Johnson finally suits up again in Week 12.