The rise of such gunslingers as Patrick Mahomes, as well as the trend that teams have had replacing running backs, from one year to the next, without significant dropoff in production, so long as their offensive lines remain intact, has made quarterbacks the skill players that get the big contracts, while running backs getting huge deals are becoming more and more the exception. In fact, Ezekiel Elliott, who got a mammoth extension from the Dallas Cowboys, is showing signs of wearing down in just the first year of that deal, and Tony Pollard, who is making much less money, ran for over 100 yards against San Francisco last week.
As you consider your NFL betting for Week 16 and with the playoffs just around the corner, look at our list of the top five teams when it comes to running the ball.
NFL News: Five Dangerous Teams Rushing the Ball
Tennessee Titans
Through 14 games, Derrick Henry has run the ball for 1,679 yards and 15 touchdowns. Standing 6’3” and weighing 247 pounds, Henry has a frame that makes him extremely difficult to bring down. If you add the strength training that he has done, you can understand why he dishes out highlight-reel stiff-arms just about every game. Against Detroit in Week 15, he had 24 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in what seemed almost like a quiet week for him. Henry’s productivity has increased each year with the Titans:
| 2016 | (regular season) | 110 carries, 490 yards, 5 TD, 4.5 yards per carry |
| 2017 | (regular season) | 176 carries, 744 yards, 5 TD, 4.2 yards per carry |
| 2017 | (postseason) | 35 carries, 184 yards, 1 TD, 5.3 yards per carry |
| 2018 | (regular season) | 215 carries, 1,059 yards, 12 TD, 4.9 yards per carry |
| 2019 | (regular season) | 303 carries, 1,540 yards, 16 TD, 5.1 yards per carry |
| 2019 | (postseason) | 83 carries, 446 yards, 2 TD, 5.4 yards per carry |
| 2020 | (regular season) | 321 carries, 1,679 yards, 15 TD, 5.2 yards per carry |
Almost each year, his average per carry has increased at the same time as carries and yards. He has just seven fumbles in his career — five coming in 2019. He only has fumbled once this year. If I’m a linebacker or a safety, he’s not a player I want to see coming through that first level with the ball.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have not played consistently this season, but the running game has not been the problem. Dalvin Cook was a major part of the team running from a 1-5 start to a 6-6 record before their recent two-game slide. This year, he has 297 carries for 1,484 yards and 15 touchdowns. When the Vikings’ offense is working, they can grind down the opposition.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have not one but two elite running backs, in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. In their win over the Houston Texans, both ran for more than 100 yards, the first time a Cleveland team had had two 100-yard rushers in the same game since 1966, when Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green did it. Having Chubb and Hunt together has helped the Browns establish a credible play-action game. Chubb missed four games due to injury but has still run for 931 yards in 10 games, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Hunt not only makes for a change of pace and catches a lot of passes out of the backfield, but he carried the load well while Chubb was on the shelf.
Green Bay Packers
You might think that Aaron Rodgers is the only major contributor to the Packers’ offense, but then you would be overlooking the fine work of Aaron Jones. He had 16 touchdown passes in 2019, and three more in the postseason, and this year he’s doing even better in terms of yards per carry (5.4 as opposed to 4.6 a year ago), and he has eight touchdowns in a dozen games.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have been a notoriously up-and-down team this season, but the production of tailback David Montgomery has been solid. In 13 games, he averages 4.5 yards per carry and has 906 yards and six touchdowns. It hasn’t been enough to carry the Bears to more wins, but he’s been a quality back.
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