Week 11 was a great week to be a running back! Some of the league’s best runners flourished in the ground game and led their respective teams to victory. Other running backs, however, struggled against some of the league’s fiercest defenses but should be able to have a bounce-back week in week 12. Regardless, week 11 was a fun week to watch, and we, as NFL fans, can’t wait to see what week 12 gives us.
Here are the grades for all 32 NFL teams’ running backs after week 11.
Who are the top running backs in the NFL after week 11?
Arizona Cardinals: James Conner: Bye Week
Conner is having a good season for the Redbirds so far. He’s scored five rushing touchdowns and can be a decent pass catcher, as he had 80 receiving yards in the Cardinals’ 31-6 victory over the New York Jets. Conner and the Cardinals travel to the Pacific Northwest for a week 12 divisional showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.
Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson: D
Robinson had an ineffective afternoon for the Falcons, as they were crushed 6-38 against the Denver Broncos. Robinson rushed for 35 on 12 carries and caught four receptions for 28 yards. The game was out of reach for the Falcons, as head coach Raheem Morris waived the white flag and had backup running back Jase McClellan play for the remainder of the game in the fourth quarter. Luckily for Robinson and the Falcons, enter a bye week in week 12.
Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Henry: C+
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Henry had an okay game for the Ravens, even as they lost a tough 16-18 battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Henry rushed for 65 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. Henry extended his touchdown streak to 11 games, but he ran into a very fierce Steelers defense. Henry and the Ravens travel to the West Coast for a week 12 showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
Buffalo Bills: James Cook: D+
Cook may have struggled in the backfield against a very fierce Kansas City Chiefs defense, but he helped the Bills defeat the Chiefs 30-21. Cook rushed for 20 yards on nine carries, scored two rushing touchdowns, and caught five receptions for seven yards. Cook was very effective against the Chiefs with short-distance running to the end zone. His efforts helped the Bills pull off the upset win.
Carolina Panthers: Chuba Hubbard: Bye Week
The Panthers re-signing Chuba Hubbard to a four-year $33.2 million extension was a good deal and well worth it as Hubbard continues to be a shining beacon of hope for a rebuilding Panthers’ team. Hubbard and the Panthers will host the Kansas City Chiefs in week 12.
Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift: B
Swift had a nice afternoon for the Bears, even though they lost a painful 19-20 neck-and-neck battle against the Green Bay Packers. Swift rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries, scored a rushing touchdown, and caught two receptions for 13 yards. Swift and Caleb Williams looked good in the new offensive coordinator position in Thomas Brown’s system, but the team needed to escape their losing slump. Swift and the Bears will remain home and will get prepared to host the Minnesota Vikings coming to town in week 12.
Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown: B-
Brown played well for the Bengals on Sunday Night Football, even though they lost 27-34 to the Los Angeles Chargers. Brown rushed for 86 yards on 22 carries and caught five receptions for 57 yards but didn’t score a touchdown. Brown has stepped up very nicely for the Bengals, as Zack Moss recovers from a season-ending neck injury back in the team’s week nine win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Brown and the Bengals head into a bye week in week 12.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams Running Backs After Week 10 Games Of The 2024 Season
Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb: C
Nick Chubb had an okay afternoon for the Browns, but he and the Browns lost 14-35 against the New Orleans Saints. Chubb rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries. It would’ve been very nice to see Chubb get into the end zone and score a touchdown, but the Saints’ defense was successful in keeping him out. Chubb and company return home for a week 12 divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dallas Cowboys: Rico Dowdle: F
Dowdle and the Cowboys had a rough Monday night in their 10-34 loss against the Houston Texans. Dowdle rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries and caught two receptions for six yards. Dowdle wasn’t able to get much going on offense, as the team struggled against the Texans’ defense all night. Dowdle and the Cowboys travel to the nation’s capital in week 12 for a divisional showdown against the Washington Commanders.
Denver Broncos: Javonte Williams: C+
Williams had a decent afternoon for the Broncos, as they completely dismantled the Atlanta Falcons 38-6. Williams rushed for 59 yards on nine carries, scored a rushing touchdown, and caught four receptions for 28 yards. After having a disappointing week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Williams stepped up and commanded a good ground game against the Falcons.
Detroit Lions: David Montgomery: A-
Montgomery had a nice afternoon on the ground as he and the Lions demolished the Jacksonville Jaguars 52-6. Montgomery rushed for 75 yards on 15 yards, scored two touchdowns, and caught three receptions for 20 yards. Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs (who also scored a touchdown). Both ripped right through the Jaguars’ defense with ease.
Green Bay Packers: Josh Jacobs: B
Jacobs had a nice afternoon for the Packers as they narrowly defeated the Chicago Bears 20-19. Jacobs rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries, scored a rushing touchdown, and caught four receptions for 58 yards. Jacobs was effective not only on the ground but also in passing the attack. Jacobs and company return home in week 12 and will welcome the San Francisco 49ers to town.
Houston Texans: Joe Mixon: A
Mixon had a strong performance for the Texans in the team’s 34-10 Monday night victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Mixon rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries, scored three rushing touchdowns, and caught two receptions for 44 yards. Mixon continued to be a game-changer for the Texans as he dominated on the ground.
Indianapolis Colts: Jonathan Taylor: C-
Taylor had a decent afternoon on the ground as he helped the Colts defeat the New York Jets 28-27. Taylor rushed for 57 yards on 22 carries and caught a reception for three yards. Taylor may have been challenged by the Jets’ defense, but he was able to help the Colts pull away with a very close victory.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne Jr.: F
Etienne Jr. and the Jaguars had an afternoon they would like to forget, as the team was humiliated 6-52 against the Detroit Lions. Etienne Jr. rushed for 27 yards on 12 carries and caught three receptions for six yards. Etienne Jr. and the rest of the Jaguars’ offense had no answers on how to get through the Lions’ defense. The Lions held the Jaguars’ rushing attack to a combined 41 yards on the ground. Etienne Jr. and the Jaguars return home for a bye week in week 12, tails down, licking their wounds.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt: C-
Hunt had a decent day on the ground but wasn’t used in the passing attack in the Chiefs’ 21-30 loss against the Buffalo Bills. Hunt rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries but didn’t score a touchdown. Hunt has done a good job filling the void left behind by Isiah Pacheco. Hunt and the Chiefs travel to the Tar Heel State for a week 12 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Las Vegas Raiders: Alexander Mattison: F
Mattison had another brutal afternoon as the Raiders fell 19-34 against the Miami Dolphins. Mattison rushed for 19 yards on five carries and caught three receptions for 16 yards. The Raiders running back did leave the game with an ankle injury, which is a blow to the Raiders’ offense, with one of the league’s weakest running back cores. Hopefully, Mattison recovers and can play for the Raiders’ week 12 matchup against the Denver Broncos back home.
Los Angeles Chargers: J.K. Dobbins: C+
Dobbins had a good Sunday night on the ground, as he and the Chargers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27. Dobbins rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries, scored two rushing touchdowns, and caught a reception for three yards. Dobbins was very effective in the short field, as he bulldozed his way into the end zone in the second quarter and scored his second touchdown with a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter to clinch the game for the Bolts. Dobbins and the Chargers remain home and will welcome the Baltimore Ravens to town in week 12.
Los Angeles Rams: Kyren Williams: B-
Williams had a very nice afternoon for the Rams as they defeated the New England Patriots 28-22. Williams rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries but didn’t score any touchdowns. It would’ve been nice to see Williams score a touchdown, but thankfully, the Rams’ passing attack was on point against the woeful Patriots’ defense.
Miami Dolphins: De’Von Achane: B
Achane and the Dolphins had a great afternoon, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 34-19. The star running back rushed for 73 yards on 17 carries, scored a rushing touchdown, and caught four receptions for 32 yards. Achane looked sharp as the Dolphins’ offense played effectively well against the struggling Raiders’ defense.
Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones: D
Jones had a decent day on the ground but could’ve done more in the Vikings’ 23-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. Jones rushed for 39 yards on 15 carries and caught a reception for four yards but didn’t score a touchdown. It would’ve been nice to see Jones score a touchdown, but the Titans defense held Jones to 2.6 yards per carry, which was his least efficient outing of the season. Jones and company have another tough road test in week 12 when the team squares off against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
New England Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson: C
Stevenson had a decent game against the Los Angeles Rams, even though the Pats lost 22-28. Stevenson rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries and caught four receptions for 16 yards. It would’ve been nice to see Stevenson score a touchdown, but he was able to gain some yardage against the Rams’ defense despite the team’s tough loss at home.
New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara: C
Kamara had a decent afternoon for the Saints, as he helped the team defeat the Cleveland Browns 35-14. Kamara rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries and caught four receptions for 22 yards. It would’ve been nice to see Kamara score a touchdown. However, his teammate, Taysom Hill, stepped up and scored three rushing touchdowns. Kamara and company head into a bye week for week 12 and will return to action in week 13 when the Saints host the Los Angeles Rams.
New York Giants: Tyrone Tracy Jr.: Bye Week
Tracy Jr. has emerged as a great running back for the Giants and looks to have more reps in the coming weeks. Tracy Jr. and the Giants return to action in week 12 when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town.
New York Jets: Breece Hall: A-
Hall had a very nice game for the Jets, even though the team lost 27-28 against the Indianapolis Colts. Hall rushed for 78 yards on 16 carries, scored a rushing touchdown, caught seven receptions for 43 yards, and scored a receiving touchdown. Hall continues to do everything he can to help the Jets out. He is one of the few bright spots on the team.
Philadelphia Eagles: Saquon Barkley: A
Another solid performance for Barkley, as he and the Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders 26-18. Barkley rushed for 146 yards on 26 carries, scored two rushing touchdowns, and caught two receptions for 52 yards. Barkley and the Eagles dropped the hammer on the tiring Commanders’ defense in the fourth quarter and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Barkley and the Eagles travel west for a Sunday night showdown against the Los Angeles Rams.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris: C-
Harris had a decent game for the Steelers, as he helped the team defeat the Baltimore Ravens 18-16. Harris rushed for 63 yards on 18 carries and caught four receptions for 30 yards but didn’t score a touchdown. Harris and the rest of the Steelers offense were kept out of the end zone thanks to the Ravens’ defense. However, kicker Chris Boswell helped Harris and the Steelers with the six field goals he kicked during the game. Harris and the Steelers travel to Ohio for a week 12 divisional showdown against the Cleveland Browns.
San Francisco 49ers: Christian McCaffrey: B-
McCaffrey had a decent game for the 49ers, as the team narrowly lost to the Seattle Seahawks 17-20. McCaffrey rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries and caught four receptions for 27 yards but didn’t score a touchdown. It would’ve been nice to see McCaffrey score a touchdown, as he’s slowly getting readjusted to being back on the field. McCaffrey and the 49ers travel to the Midwest for a week 12 showdown against the Green Bay Packers.
Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III: C+
Walker III had a decent afternoon on the ground as he and the Seahawks narrowly defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17. Walker III rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries, scored his first touchdown since week seven, and caught two receptions for five yards. Walker III also had a tough time dealing with the 49ers’ defense, but he will certainly continue to help guide the Seahawks to victory moving forward.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bucky Irving: Bye Week
Irving has had a hit-or-miss season for the Bucs so far. Irving has scored only four rushing touchdowns this season and hasn’t had a game where he’s topped 100 rushing yards on the ground. Irving and company travel to MetLife Stadium for a matchup against the New York Giants.
Tennessee Titans: Tony Pollard: F
Pollard had a rough afternoon on the ground, as he and the Titans lost 13-23 against the Minnesota Vikings. Pollard rushed for 15 yards on nine carries and caught two receptions for 14 yards. Pollard and the Titans’ rushing attack had a combined 33 yards on the ground as the Vikings’ defense was too much for the Titans’ rushing attack. Pollard and the company need to rebound quickly as they get set for their week 12 matchup against the Houston Texans, who are on the road.
Washington Commanders: Brian Robinson Jr.: C
Robinson Jr. had a decent night for the Commanders, as they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 18-26. Robinson Jr. rushed for 63 yards on 16 carries, scored a touchdown, and caught a reception for nine yards. Having Robinson Jr. back after he missed two games due to a hamstring injury helped keep the Commanders in the game, for the most part. Unfortunately, the Commanders weren’t able to stave off the Eagles in the fourth quarter of the game. Robinson Jr. and the Commanders return home for a week 12 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys coming to town.
