RB Index, Week 6: Ranking top five NFL rushing duos
There is something so fun about rushing duos. Watching pairs light it up on the ground takes me back to my days with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when Fred Taylor and I carved up defenses on a weekly basis.
I could get into so many memories and historic moments, but don’t worry: I’ll put the yearbook away. Instead, let’s bring it back to the present day and look at some of the hottest rushing duos — with quarterbacks included — in the NFL through five weeks of the 2024 regular season. Here are my top five tandems.
The Ravens have fielded a top-three rushing operation in every season since Lamar Jackson was drafted in 2018, finishing No. 1 in the NFL three times (2019, 2020 and 2023). Through five games this season, Baltimore again holds that honor as the only team rushing for more than 200 yards per contest. Jackson and his new backfield mate, King Henry, are the perfect lightning-and-thunder combination. The two-time MVP keeps defenses on their heels with his quickness and speed and is an ankle-breaker in the open field. While Jackson runs around defenders, Henry, a two-time league rushing champion, runs through them. The 247-pound freight train has forced 30 missed tackles on runs this season and racked up 29 first downs, both second-most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Both Henry and Jackson rank in the top 10 in rushing yards this season; the running back leads the league with 572, while the quarterback ranks eighth with 363.
Baltimore has rushed for at least 100 yards in 38 straight games, tied for the third-longest streak all time. The 2018-2021 Ravens and 1974-77 Steelers share the record at 43 games. If these Ravens keep the streak going, they will tie the record against the Bengals in Week 10 and break it Week 11 against … you guessed it, the Steelers.
The only RB pairing on this list, Gibbs and Montgomery comprise quite a 1-2 punch in the Motor City. Since the start of last season, they have combined for 30 touchdown runs and have both rushed for at least one TD in six different games. The Lions have also logged at least three rush TDs in a game five times — most in the NFL — in that span. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson utilizes each player’s skill set so well: Montgomery hammers through the first level of the defense with his contact balance and leg drive on early downs, while Gibbs uses his speed inside and outside the tackles to get into space, where he does most of his damage. The Lions feature the sixth-best rushing attack entering Week 6, but if we’re being honest, these two have yet to really get going.
The Eagles featured a top-10 rushing attack last season with Hurts and D’Andre Swift. They leveled up this offseason by signing Barkley, who has been nothing short of spectacular (other than that dropped catch in Week 2). Right now, Philadelphia ranks fifth in rushing, thanks to Barkley averaging nearly 110 yards per game. He ranks third in total rushing yards this season with 435, despite having his bye week in Week 5. Part of the reason for his success is the boost he’s getting from the Eagles’ O-line. According to Next Gen Stats, Barkley has recorded career highs in yards before contact per carry (2.6) and rushing yards over expected per carry (2.2) in his first season in Philly. And thanks to the Eagles having a number of weapons in the pass game, Barkley has faced light boxes at career-high rate (49.3%), while also generating a career-high 46.6 percent rushing success rate across all carries.
Hurts is averaging 40.8 rush yards per game. On 14 designed runs, the quarterback has gained 39 yards and earned three first downs, per NGS. On 14 scrambles, he’s compiled 117 yards and five first downs. Hurts is generally effective as a runner, but we all know he is most valuable in short-yardage situations and at the goal line, thanks to the Brotherly Shove.
