Week 12 is a wrap and it is crunch time for teams around the NFL trying to secure playoff spots and seeding. As we inch towards the New Year, temperatures are dropping and teams are starting to rely more and more on their run game.
Let’s take a look around the NFL and rank how all 32 starting running backs stack up.
32. Chicago Bears Khalil Herbert (Last Week #32)
It has been tough sledding for Khalil Herbert since he’s taken over for the injured D’Onta Foreman. Herbert was extremely quiet on Monday Night Football against the Vikings, ultimately getting out-touched by Roschon Johnson and finishing with just six carries on 24 yards.
31. Seattle Seahawks Zach Charbonnet (Last Week N/A)
With Kenneth Walker III going out with an oblique injury, Charbonnet had a big opportunity this week against San Francisco. Unfortunately, his performance left much to be desired, as the Seahawks rookie only managed 47 yards on 14 carries.
30. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon (Last Week #17)
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Without Joe Burrow to unlock the rest of the Bengals offense, it may be a long remainder of the 2023 season for Joe Mixon. The Bengals lead running back was swallowed up all game by the Steelers and finished with just 16 yards on eight carries.
Though he did to his credit have a nice 39-yard catch and run on the afternoon.
29. Minnesota Vikings Alexander Mattison (Last Week #22)
Alexander Mattison only got 10 carries this week, as Minnesota—perhaps fool-hardily—relied heavily on its passing game all night against the Bears. To his credit, the Vikings back averaged 5.2 yards a pop, finishing with 52 rushing yards and having tacked on two catches for 11 in the passing game.
28. Los Angeles Chargers Austin Ekeler (Last Week #12)
Chargers fans should be worried that the Austin Ekeler of yesteryear no longer exists. He just doesn’t seem to have the same explosive playmaking ability he once did. Baltimore held him to just 32 rushing yards on 10 carries.
27. Green Bay Packers Aaron Jones (Last Week #31)
With Aaron Jones looking like he’ll miss another good chunk of time, it is the AJ Dillion show in Green Bay. He struggled to find many holes on the ground this week, posting a 14-carry, 43-yard performance against the Lions, but was effective in the passing game, turning three catches into 38 yards with a long of 22.
26. Arizona Cardinals James Conner (Last Week #20)
James Conner was awfully quiet in Week 12 against the Rams. The veteran running back managed just 27 yards on six carries.
25. New York Giants Saquon Barkley (Last Week #2)
Saquon Barkley was essentially a nonfactor this week for the Giants in their win against the Pats. New England dared New York to beat them in any other way than Saquon. He totaled just 52 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches.
24. Baltimore Ravens Gus Edwards (Last Week #7)
Gus Edwards had a down week against the Chargers, managing just 26 yards on 11 carries. If he’s not careful, he’ll end up losing the lion’s share of the workload to upstart rookie, Keaton Mitchell.
23. Denver Broncos Javonte Williams (Last Week #25)
Javonte Williams looked good this week against a tough Browns run D. He finished the game with 18 carries for 65 yard.
22. Carolina Panthers Chuba Hubbard (Last Week #29)
Chuba Hubbard had a nice bounce-back performance this week against the Titans after a poor showing in Week 11. The Panthers running back did it through the air and on the ground, finishing with over 90 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne Jr. (Last Week #23)
Travis Etienne had another strong showing for the Jags and was integral in helping Jacksonville secure a crucial win over the Texans. He finished with 86 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches.
20. New York Jets Breece Hall (Last Week #14)
At long last, Breece Hall too has fallen victim to a woefully ineffective Jets offense system. The second-year running back finished with just 25 yards on seven carries, as his team got bullied by the Dolphins all Black Friday long.
19. Tennessee Titans Derrick Henry (Last Week #26)
Derrick Henry showed some flashes this week that he might be ready to turn his season around. The Panthers couldn’t slow him down and he finished the game with two scores and 76 yards on 18 carries.
18. Dallas Cowboys Tony Pollard (Last Week #24)
For the second consecutive week, Tony Pollard looked very dynamic and played the way that most expected him to when he stepped into RB1 duties at the beginning the season.
Pollard gave the Commanders fits all afternoon and finished with an impressive 79 yards and one touchdown on just 13 carries and tacked on six catches for 24 receiving yards.
17. New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara (Last Week #21)
Alvin Kamara was big for the Saints this week, albeit in a losing effort. The dynamic running back finished with 119 yards from scrimmage on just 19 touches.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris (Last Week #27)
Najee Harris had his best game of the season by far. It wasn’t just the 15 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown, which was impressive in and of itself, but he looked far more explosive than he had to this point—and massively outgained Jaylen Warren on a similar number of touches.
15. New England Patriots Rhamondre Stevenson (Last Week #18)
The Patriots may be far out of contention already, but Rhamondre Stevenson is starting to come alive down the stretch of the 2023 season. He took 21 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown against the Giants this week and added five catches in the process.
14. Atlanta Falcons Bijan Robinson (Last Week #19)
Whatever drama was festering inside the walls of the Falcons facilities around Bijan Robinson seems to have dissipated, as we are finally seeing the rookie get some high usage again. The former UT star had a big game against New Orleans this week, finishing with 91 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries—with an additional 32 yards and another score on three receptions.
13. Washington Commanders Brian Robinson (Last Week #6)
Brian Robinson played well against a tough Dallas defense this week considering how offensively challenged the Commanders all game. He finished with 64 yards from scrimmage.
12. Cleveland Browns Jerome Ford (Last Week #9)
Jerome Ford only saw nine carries against Denver, as Cleveland spent a significant chunk of the game playing catch up, but he managed to convert those opportunities into 65 yards and was a reliable check down option snagging four catches.
11. Houston Texans Devin Singletary (Last Week #8)
Devin Singletary was quiet on the ground this week, perhaps as a byproduct of Dameon Pierces return to action, but he was a key contributor in the passing game for the Texans catching six passes for 54 yards—making him the second-leading receiver for Houston on the day.
10. Buffalo Bills James Cook (Last Week #15)
James Cook continued his hot streak this week by racking up yardage both on the ground and through the air against the Eagles totaling 100 yards from scrimmage, albeit in a losing effort.
9. Detroit Lions Jahmyr Gibbs (Last Week #3)
Jahmyr Gibbs was good, but not great this week against the Packers, as David Montgomery saw an increased role in the offense. The Lions rookie finished with 11 carries for 54 yards and four catches for another 19.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rachaad White (Last Week #16)
Rachaad White went for over 100 yards against the Colts in Week 12—marking his first time past the century mark this season. He also chipped in two receptions for 10 yards.
7. Indianapolis Colts Jonathan Taylor (Last Week #11)
Unfortunately, we have since found out that Jonathan Taylor is done for the year due to a thumb injury, but he had heck of a last stand against the Bucs this week.
Indy’s All-Pro back posted a 15-carry, 91-yard, two-touchdown outing.
6. Philadelphia Eagles D'Andre Swift (Last Week #5)
D’Andre Swift was big for the Eagles in their win over Buffalo Week 12—and has been one of the most reliable running backs in the league all year. He finished with an impressive 80 yards on just 14 carries.
5. Los Angeles Rams Kyren Williams (Last Week N/A)
Kyren Williams was back from injury this week and man, did he make his presence known. The Rams running back took 16 carries for a massive 143 yards with a long of 56. He was also a force in the passing game, hauling in six receptions for 61 yards and two scores.
The Rams offense looked completely different with him back in the mix.
4. Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs (Last Week #13)
After a poor performance in Week 11, Josh Jacobs got back on track this week against a tough Chiefs defense. The former Alabama star racked up 110 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
3. Kansas City Chiefs Isiah Pacheco (Last Week #10)
Isiah Pacheco came up big for the Chiefs in their comeback win against the Raiders. The explosive back turned 15 carries into 55 yards and two touchdowns—and five catches for 34 yards to boot.
2. Miami Dolphins Raheem Mostert (Last Week Last Week #4)
Raheem Mostert ran right into the teeth of the Jets defense all afternoon with little issue. Miami’s running back had a huge game, finishing with 94 yards and two touchdown on the ground.
1. San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey (Last Week #1)
Another huge game for Christian McCaffrey. The man has to be under serious consideration for MVP at this point. The Niners lead back took 19 carries for 114 yards and two scores—and tacked on five catches for 25 as his red hot season continues.
