12 Biggest Touchdown Hounds in the NFL

The NFL is full of dynamic playmakers that wow the masses on a regular basis. One-handed catches, runners bursting through holes at breakneck speed and mammoth linemen beating each other's brains out fill our hearts with joy. 

However, there is a select group of playmakers that are above all others: The touchdown hounds.

These men are skilled at making their way into the end zone, and they are the ones who make the biggest impact on the scoreboard for their teams.

In doing this study, I decided to exclude quarterbacks' passing touchdowns and focus on the running backs and receivers. This list is for the athletes who make things happen after the catch and after the hand-off. 

Honorable Mentions: The Kick/Punt Returners

Although their number of scores isn't in the same league as the other touchdown hounds on this list, Patrick Peterson (Arizona Cardinals) and Devin Hester (Chicago Bears) are honorable mentions.

Peterson has returned four punts for touchdowns this season, tying an NFL record.

Hester has returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns, and he now holds the NFL record for most returns for touchdown with 16.

Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker is the perfect complement to Tim Tebow in the passing game. Decker is also a touchdown hound.

Through 12 games this year, Decker has caught eight passes for touchdowns. He has also returned one punt for a touchdown, bringing his yearly total to nine touchdowns.

The second-year pro out of Minnesota has been a steady producer for one of the hottest teams in the latter half of the 2011 NFL season, and his sure hands will continue to aid the Broncos in their pursuit of the AFC West divisional crown.

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells is finally having the kind of season the franchise envisioned when they drafted him with the 31st overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft.

The third-year back out of Ohio State has finally been healthy for the better part of a season, and his numbers show it. Though the Cardinals are out of the running for the playoffs, Wells has been a touchdown hound for the struggling team.

Through 12 games this season, Wells has run for 916 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson doesn't look the part, but he is one of the biggest touchdown hounds in the NFL.

It seems like every week I find myself asking, "How did he do that?"

Nelson has a penchant for making ridiculous catches, and he is one of Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets. He has caught 48 balls for 876 yards and nine touchdowns.

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been coming on like a freight train for the last five games, and is quickly becoming one of the biggest touchdown hounds in the NFL.

I'm personally looking forward to the Christmas Eve matchup between Lynch's Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers' defense is on a historic run. They haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 34 straight games, and the defense has not surrendered a touchdown on the ground for the first 12 games—a new NFL record.

Lynch might be the man to test the 49ers defense. So far this year, he has run for 854 yards and has eight touchdowns. Lynch has also caught one touchdown this season, bringing his total to nine.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

Greg Jennings is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He is also a touchdown hound. 

The Green Bay Packers run a back shoulder play on the sidelines with Jennings that is absolutely unstoppable. The timing that Aaron Rodgers and Jennings have borders on telepathic. 

It is just one more reason the Packers are currently undefeated.

After 12 games, Jennings has caught 65 passes for 929 yards and nine touchdowns.

Arian Foster, Houston Texans

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is a touchdown machine. He will be called on to lead for the last four games this year, as the Texans are down to third-string quarterback T.J. Yates.

Despite missing the better part of three games due to a hamstring injury, Foster has still managed to score 10 touchdowns. He is just as dangerous in the passing game, and two of those touchdowns have been acquired through the air.

I expect this touchdown hound to continue his hot play into the playoffs.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

Lovingly referred to by his fans as "Mighty Mouse," Ray Rice's diminutive stature hasn't stopped him from being one of the biggest touchdown hounds in the NFL.

Even though the Baltimore Ravens have had some hiccups this season, the team has begun to round into full-on playoff strength and intensity. Rice has benefited from this, and he has put together a fantastic season thus far.

Through 12 games, Rice has run for 926 yards and nine touchdowns. Rice is also a dual threat back, and he has 56 catches for 547 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his total up to 11 touchdowns.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

If Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is a freight train, then Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson is the bullet train. You know, the one that can travel over 200 miles per hour?

Peterson would be much higher on this list if not for a severe ankle injury that has kept the star out of the last couple of games. As it is, he is still one of the biggest touchdown hounds in the NFL.

For the season, Peterson has rushed for 872 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has an additional touchdown catch, bringing his total up to 12 touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

"Megatron" was the biggest touchdown hound in the league through five games, but his production has tapered off significantly over the last month and a half.

Calvin Johnson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. 

Through 12 games, Johnson has caught 69 passes for 1,092 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The most disappointing thing for Johnson is that he has only caught four touchdowns in the last seven games. If the Lions make it into the playoffs, it will be due in part by more production in this area for Johnson.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

I know, I know...I said no quarterbacks, right? Well, Cam Newton isn't a simple pocket passer, and he is the third-ranked touchdown hound in the NFL.

The Carolina Panthers' burgeoning superstar is one of the most electric players to come into the league in the history of the NFL. Newton has surpassed the expectations of everyone who evaluated him coming out of college.

Through 12 games, Newton has run for 518 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, or "Gronk," is the one of the biggest touchdown hounds at his position in the history of the NFL. I know he's only in his second year, but consider that the man has caught 23 touchdowns in his first 28 games.

This season has been one for the record books for Gronkowski already, and he still has four more games to pad his gaudy stats. Gronkowski has tied the single-season touchdown mark for tight ends, with 13.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

Through the first 12 games of the 2011 NFL season, LeSean "Shady" McCoy is the king of touchdown hounds. He can sniff the end zone better than anyone, and he is about the only bright spot in what has otherwise been a blight of a season for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles haven't won many games, but the team has managed to drum up a significant amount of yardage on offense, ranking third in the NFL behind New England and New Orleans. McCoy is the biggest reason for this distinction.

Through 12 games, McCoy has amassed 1,134 yards and 12 touchdowns in the running game, while additionally collecting 42 receptions for 277 yards and three touchdowns. 

He leads the league with 15 total touchdowns.