Week 18—and really the entirety of 2023 season was loaded with crazy performances from the league’s leading running backs. Let’s take a look around the NFL and power rank every team’s first-string running back.
32. Los Angeles Chargers Austin Ekeler (Last Week #32)
Austin Ekeler had nothing going yet again this week. His 10 carries went for a mere 11 yards. The only thing that helped him save face was the seven catches he made, though his 38 receiving yards wasn’t super impressive either.
31. Cleveland Browns Jerome Ford (Last Week #15)
Jerome Ford took a backseat this week, likely due to Cleveland wanting to limit his usage ahead of the postseason kicking off. The Browns lead running back got just three carries this week, which he took for six yards.
30. Los Angeles Rams Ronnie Rivers (Last Week N/A)
With L.A. having secured its playoff spot, Kyren Williams got some well-deserved rest this week. Ronnie Rivers had an okay game in his stead, turning 13 carries into 52 yards in the win.
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29. Washington Commanders Brian Robinson (Last Week #31)
Brian Robinson had a nice game this week considering the dire straights that the Commanders offense was in. He turned his 12 touches into 35 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
28. New England Patriots Ezekiel Elliott (Last Week #25)
Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t exactly in peak Dallas form this week, but he did have a quality showing all things considered. New England’s veteran running back turned 13 carries into 54 yards and tacked on an additional 27 yards on five catches.
27. Carolina Panthers Chuba Hubbard (Last Week #29)
Chuba Hubbard played well this week for Carolina, despite the offense struggling as a whole. The Panthers lead running back turned 23 carries into 83 yards and added an additional nine yards on two receptions.
26. Denver Broncos Javonte Williams (Last Week #24)
Javonte Williams had a nice game this week considering the minimal amount of action he got. Denver’s top running back turned nine carries into 32 yards and a TD, while also tacking on seven catches for 43 yards.
25. New Orleans Saints Kendre Miller (Last Week N/A)
With Alvin Kamara out this week, Kendre Miller had a chance to shine—and he did well to take advantage of that opportunity. The Saints young halfback turned 13 carries into 73 yards and a touchdown.
24. Dallas Cowboys Tony Pollard (Last Week #27)
Tony Pollard bounced back nicely this week for the Cowboys, he turned 17 carries into 70 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win over Washington.
23. Minnesota Vikings Ty Chandler (Last Week #26)
Ty Chandler kept his momentum going with another solid output this week. The young Minnesota running back took 12 carries for 69 yards and tacked on an additional 20 yards on two receptions.
22. San Francisco 49ers Elijah Mitchell (Last Week N/A)
Christian McCaffrey was resting up for the postseason this week, so Elijah Mitchell got slotted into RB1 responsibilities. The speedy running back played well in the MVP candidate’s absence turning 14 carries into 52 yards and a TD.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne Jr. (Last Week #19)
Travis Etienne Jr. did well to contribute both on the ground and through the air this week despite an inspired performance from the Titans D.
The Jaguars halfback turned 16 carries into 57 yards and snagged five catches for another 30 through the air.
20. Chicago Bears Khalil Herbert (Last Week #7)
Khalil Herbert was quiet this week after a torrid stretch of football. In Week 18, he was nowhere to be found, as he turned 12 carries into just 28 yards.
19. Baltimore Ravens Gus Edwards (Last Week #16)
Gus Edwards was fairly quiet this week for the Ravens, perhaps due to the challenging weather conditions and Baltimore resting starters. He got just 10 carries and turned them into 43 yards.
18. Houston Texans Devin Singletary (Last Week #23)
Devin Singletary played himself a solid game against Indy with the playoffs on the line. He turned 24 carries into a hard-earned 63 yards and one touchdown in a winning effort.
17. Philadelphia Eagles Kenneth Gainwell (Last Week N/A)
With D’Andre Swift out, Kenneth Gainwell got the bulk of the action this week and looked rather explosive with the ball in his hands. Unfortunately, the Eagles fell behind early and went away from the run in a somewhat puzzling fashion.
Gainwell finished the contest with just seven carries for an impressive 62 yards.
16. Seattle Seahawks Kenneth Walker III (Last Week #18)
Kenneth Walker III was back to his normal workload this week and played well. The Seahawks lead running back turned 17 carries into 78 yards.
15. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon (Last Week #20)
Joe Mixon was impressive this week against an admittedly weakened Browns defense. Cinci’s star running back went for over 100 yards and a score with relative ease
14. Kansas City Chiefs La’Mical Perine (Last Week N/A)
Isiah Pacheco was resting this week to heal up his ailing body and La’Mical Perine got the start. Perine did well to capitalize on the opportunity going for over 100 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches.
13. Buffalo Bills James Cook (Last Week #17)
James Cook made more than a couple of nice plays in Buffalo’s Sunday Night showdown with the Dolphins. He did, unfortunately, also have a pretty brutal drop in the end zone on what should’ve been an easy touchdown.
12. Atlanta Falcons Bijan Robinson (Last Week #21)
Arthur Smith’s usage of Bijan Robinson continues to be puzzling, as the dynamic rookie was handed the ball just 11 times, which he converted into 28 yards. Robinson, to his credit, was a source of instant offense in the passing game though, as he hauled in seven catches for 103 yards and a 71-yard touchdown.
11. Tennessee Titans Derrick Henry (Last Week #28)
After a stinker in Week 17, Derrick Henry turned in a vintage performance to close the year, turning 19 carries into a mammoth 153 yards and one touchdown.
What a showing from King Henry to play spoiler to the Jaguars in what might’ve been his last game as a Titan!
10. Detroit Lions Jahmyr Gibbs (Last Week #6)
Jahmyr Gibbs was relatively quiet, especially compared to the high standard the explosive rookie has set this year. He turned 13 carries into 30 yards, but to his credit did manage to get into the endzone once.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rachaad White (Last Week #14)
Rachaad White played a pivotal role in the Buccaneers winning the NFC South this year and Week 18 was no exception. The young running back turned his 23 touches into a respectable 93 yards from scrimmage.
8. New York Giants Saquon Barkley (Last Week #22)
Saquon Barkley did well to create opportunities for himself this week despite there being limited running lanes behind a weak Giants o-line. Barkley converted 18 carries into 46 yards and two touchdowns, while also tacking on two receptions for 51 yards through the air.
7. Las Vegas Raiders Zamir White (Last Week #12)
The Zamir White coming out part has been fun to watch. The dynamic, young halfback exploded again this week for 112 yards on 25 carries.
6. Miami Dolphins De’Von Achane (Last Week Last Week #8)
With Raheem Mostert still missing time due to an injury, De’Von Achane got another week in the spotlight. No shocker here, but the rookie looked as dynamic as ever, ripping off a couple of huge runs for the Dolphins.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris (Last Week #10)
Najee Harris really salvaged his 2023 campaign with the way he’s played down the stretch of season. He had another impressive showing in Week 18 to try and secure a playoff berth with his 26-carry, 112-yard, and one-touchdown performance against a strong Ravens defense.
4. Green Bay Packers Aaron Jones (Last Week #4)
Aaron Jones had another monster outing this week. The Packers veteran running back was able to convert his 22 carries into an impressive 111 yards.
Talk about a vintage performance from Jones!
3. Indianapolis Colts Jonathan Taylor (Last Week #11)
Jonathan Taylor had a monster showing this week to try and put the Colts on his back and get them to the postseason. J.T. finished the Week 18 showdown against the Texans with 30 carries for 183 yards and one touchdown.
2. Arizona Cardinals James Conner (Last Week #9)
James Conner has now posted massive games in back-to-back weeks. The burly running back got the rock 27 times this week and turned it into 150 yards and a touchdown.
Conner also managed to chip in another 54 yards on four receptions.
1. New York Jets Breece Hall (Last Week #5)
Breece Hall had another monster game this week. The electric Jets rookie ran all over the Patriots to the tune of 178 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries.
Talk about a vintage bell-cow back kind of performance!
