5. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
Lynch was written off toward the end of his career with the Buffalo Bills. He was a talented, but troubled running back who couldn’t stay on the field after posting back to back 1,000-yard seasons. As a result, Buffalo rid themselves of Lynch and shipped him off to Seattle mid-season in 2010.
The change of scenery didn’t help immediately—Lynch rushed for just 57s yards on 165 carries, not showing the same physical ability just three years prior. But just as hope seemed lost, Lynch came roaring back in 2011 as the Seahawks’ bell cow. He set a career-high in rushing yards (1,204) and touchdowns (12), it was the beginning of a rejuvenation for Lynch and the Seahawks as well.
His resurgence isn’t due to the offensive line, the Seahawks line has actually been the team’s main problem area. Lynch has excelled because he is in significantly better shape and his athleticism helps him break away in the open field. Of course Lynch is one of the strongest backs in the game, but many of his big runs are a combination of power and speed.
His game is rounded out well by impressive vision and surprising hands as a receiver. He finished last season with 36 receptions and did excellent work on play actions and check downs. Lynch is still in the prime of his career and while the hits are starting to add up, there is still so much to like about his running style.
4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
When people talk about elite running backs, Forte’s name is often the last name mentioned. He doesn’t have the speed of a Charles and McCoy, nor the power of Lacy and Lynch. But Forte does everything exceptionally well and he is starting to gain more attention.
Forte’s time in Chicago has been different than most—he carried the ball 316 times in his rookie season and rushed for 1,238 yards along with 63 receptions for 477 yards and 12 total touchdowns. It was the rare case of a rookie being given nearly 400 touches and it might have affected him. The following season, Forte received a more reasonable 258 carries—finishing the year under 1,000 yards and a very disappointing 3.6 yards per carry.
While Forte put up very good numbers from 2010-’12, it wasn’t until Marc Trestman’s arrival that he thrived. It helped that Chicago made significant improvements to their offensive line, but Trestman recognized Forte’s skill set. As a result, Forte’s production amplified—he rushed for 1,339 yards and nine touchdowns, along with 74 receptions for 594 receiving yards. While everyone likes to focus on Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, Forte was the catalyst in Chicago’s offense last season.
There is a real chance we could see an even better performance from Forte this season—if Jay Cutler can stay healthy and the Bears remain in playoff contention, games will always be close and Forte will be a workhorse once again.
3. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles’ game has always been about racking up the yardage and creating big plays—he has rushed for over 1,100 yards in four of six seasons. But when he began his career, he failed to receive many goal-line carries—and then head coach Andy Reid changed that.
Charles is a great example of a player who came back strong from a torn ACL. Just two games into the 2011 season, he tore his ACL and many feared one of the fastest players in the game wouldn’t recover. He returned the following season and looked stronger than ever—a career-high 1,509 rushing yards, while playing for the worst team in the league.
While his rushing yards dropped last season, he saw a magnificent jump in rushing touchdowns (12). receiving yards (693) and combined yards (1,980). What truly stands out though, is how many times he found the end zone. After never surpassing eight combined touchdowns in a season, Charles exploded for 19 last season. Reid trusted his star running back to carry the offense and be the workhorse and it paid off for the Chiefs last season. Charles may not have the power of some running backs on this list, but nobody on it is faster than him.
2. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
Sometimes all it takes is the right coach to unlock a player’s true potential. This was exactly the case with Chip Kelly’s arrival in Philadelphia. Kelly brought a fast-paced, spread offense that allows players space to break away in the open field—the type of offense that suits McCoy perfectly.
McCoy should be recognized for his speed—few players are more dangerous in the open field. What he doesn’t get enough credit for is his power, McCoy is more than willing to initiate the contact and lower the boom on the defender. But his greatest attribute isn’t his speed or power. McCoy is like a cat, showing the ability to react in milliseconds, changing his course of direction and avoiding the enemy.
Cat-like reflexes, speed, power and the ability to cut back on a dime have helped make McCoy so special. While he certainly posted impressive numbers before, Kelly unleashed him last season and 2,100 total yards were the result. Kelly and McCoy are the perfect match, now McCoy’s next mission is to prove he is the best running back in the game.
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson is still the best running back in the game. While McCoy and Charles were better statistically last season, they played in a far better situation than Peterson. In Minnesota, Peterson ran behind an offense in chaos with three different quarterbacks during the course of the season.
When a “down year” for a player consists of 1,266 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, you know that he’s special. Expectations were through the roof for him after a near-historic 2012 campaign, where Peterson fell just nine yards short of history. Peterson’s play hasn’t changed—he still possesses the perfect blend of power, speed and lightning-quick reaction ability. Nobody is faster at firing through a hole the second it opens, Peterson’s vision is remarkable in this regard. Once he gets into the open field, he can beat a defensive back in a 40-yard sprint or run him over.
Peterson’s numbers should jump back up this season. The Vikings offense now has some weapons to work with in the passing game. This will open up more running lanes for Peterson, while also taking pressure off the rookie quarterback. He is the best player at his position and he will prove that once again in 2014.
