Week 10 NFL RB Index: Four backs whose output should soar in the second half
As a backup to Christian McCaffrey in Carolina, D’Onta Foreman had only accrued 37 rush yards as of Week 6 of the 2022 campaign. But Foreman showed promise with a couple of 100-yard games after McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco, and I thought he might really take off. I therefore identified him as one of four backs who were expected to stand out in the second half.
Foreman, who gained a contract with the Bears after accumulating 618 rush yards in his final eight games of the season, made me look good, no doubt about it. He ran for 130 yards on the day that the article was posted.
In 2023, who will continue in Foreman’s footsteps? It appears that a number of running backs will produce more in the second half of 2023.
After adding Fournette to the practice squad last week, the Bills may use him to cut down on second-year running back James Cook’s carries and to take advantage of Latavius Murray’s short-yardage and goal-line opportunities. The fact that the Bills rank 18th in the league in rushing attempts per game suggests that they still don’t want to run the ball to relieve Josh Allen of some of the offensive load. Cook is a playmaker, but in the last five weeks (when the Bills finished 2-3), he has only attempted 10.4 carries per game, down from 14 in Weeks 1-4 (when the Bills finished 3-1). With her experience, Fournette is the kind of bruiser that’s best at wearing people down.
Late in the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are designed to intimidate opponents, and this 6-foot-1, 242-pound running back leads the team’s ground attack. Following their Week 9 bye, the Steelers ran for at least 140 yards in six of their nine games last season. They won all six of those games, going 1-2 in the others when they didn’t. In the second half of the regular season, Harris, on the other hand, more than doubled his output from the first half. Although Jaylen Warren has recently been more effective than Harris, Harris still plays with a physicality and put forth a strong effort in last week’s prime-time victory over Tennessee, which was aided by the offensive line playing better and a more simplified run game, according to tackle Dan Moore Jr.
Even though Derrick Henry has amassed 601 rushing yards through nine weeks, he is currently fifth in the NFL in that category. But he’s getting hot right now, particularly when Will Levis, a rookie quarterback, is starting to take the field. After recording two games with 100 or more scrimmage yards in the first five games of 2023, Henry has now recorded three straight games with this stat.
Henry normally makes his money in the second part of the season. The two-time NFL rushing champion has averaged 4.3 yards per carry in Weeks 1-8 and 664.2 rush yards per season between 2018 and 2022, along with 31 rush touchdowns. With the exception of 2021, when he was injured and missed those games, Henry has been available since Week 9 of those seasons.
37 touchdowns and 945 rush yards per season on average, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Furthermore, running lanes should now open up a little wider for the physically strong running back that opponents are reluctant to tackle late in the season because of Levis’ strong arm, which spreads the field and keeps defenses honest. Henry is currently averaging 4.4 yards per attempt, but if past performance is any indication, that figure ought to rise sharply.
The passing offense is having trouble finding its rhythm, but overall, the Chiefs’ offense is as balanced as it has been since Patrick Mahomes took over. Additionally, Kansas City has its best defense in a very long time. All of that is excellent news for Isiah Pacheco, who leads a talented backfield that also includes Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Pacheco is the clear favorite. Pacheco, who has averaged 4.2 yards per carry this season, has a strong running style that is encouraging for a team that is starting to focus more on controlling the clock in the second half of games rather than scoring points at will. As a rookie, he had an outstanding final stretch, amassing 633 rush yards on 126 carries for an average of 5.0 yards per attempt in Weeks 10–18.
Top 15 backs for running
Every week of the 2023 season, former NFL rushing leader and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew will rank his top 15 running backs after surveying all running backs. His rankings are mostly determined by his performance this season. This is MJD’s Week 10 list.
NOTE: Rankings from Week 9 are reflected in the arrows.
8 games | 137 att | 652 rush yards | 4.8 ypc | 9 rush touchdowns | 32 receptions | 292 rec yards | 4 reception touchdowns | 2 lost fumbles in 2023
Following the 49ers’ much-needed Week 9 bye, Christian McCaffrey continues to hold the top spot. Whether it’s in the air or on the ground, CMC manages to complete the task. Will he be able to keep scoring touchdowns against the Jaguars? I am completely confident in the star return.
2023 stats: 8 games, 151 att, 583 rush yards, 3.9 yards per play, 7 rush touchdowns, 27 receptions, 266 yards, 1 reception touchdown, and 0 lost fumbles
The 24-year-old, who also had a bye week, will try to build on his previous four games, where he scored seven touchdowns—six of which came on the ground. Will Travis Etienne help Jacksonville defeat a resilient 49ers team that is keen to get back in the win column on Sunday in order to build a five-game winning streak?
Statistics for 2023: 9 games, 135 att, 614 rush yards, 4.5 ypc, 3 rush touchdowns, 30 receptions, 166 rec yards, 1 reception touchdown, and 1 fumble loss.
The Eagles defeated the Cowboys in a thrilling game to raise their record to an NFL-best 8-1. D’Andre Swift didn’t exactly have a memorable day, even putting aside his two fumbles (both of which were recovered by Philadelphia). He only managed 74 scrimmage yards on 20 touches, which is his lowest total in games where he has at least 20 touches. However, it was hardly shocking playing against the third-ranked Dallas defense in terms of yards allowed.
2023 stats: 9 games, 109 att, 605 rush yards, 5.6 yards per play, 11 rush touchdowns, 19 receptions, 151 yards in the air, 2 touchdowns, and 1 fumble loss.
After being shut out in the first half of their game against the Chiefs in Germany, the Dolphins showed a different side in the second and third quarters. Late in the third quarter, Raheem Mostert scored the team’s second touchdown from 13 yards out, increasing his season lead over Christian McCaffrey in rush touchdowns. Mostert finished with 12 carries for 85 yards and the touchdown in the 21-14 loss.
2023 stats: 6 games, 95 att, 346 rush yards, 3.6 ypc, 2 rush touchdowns, 43 receptions, 272 rec yards, 1 reception touchdown, and 0 lost fumbles
In Sunday’s victory over the Bears, Alvin Kamara had a better day as a receiver than he did receiving handoffs, hauling in four targets for 44 yards and scoring 26 yards on nine rushes. Despite missing the first three weeks of the season, the 28-year-old has established a significant role for himself in the pass game and is currently second on the team in receptions.
