With 15-11 out of the way, our list picks up with number ten, who, like numbers 11 and 13, was originally thought to be a backup but exploded after a starter sustained an injury.
TOP 15 NFL RUNNING BACKS OF 2014: 10-6
10. Jeremy Hill
At the start of 2014 it looked as though Giovani Bernard would be the Cincinnati Bengals workhorse, and for the first half of the season, he took more snaps than rookie Jeremy Hill. After Bernard was sidelined for a few weeks with a hip injury, Hill clearly became the starter. Between weeks nine and 17, Hill had five 100+ rushing games and six touchdowns. He had three scores prior to that in the season. He totaled 1,124 yards rushing and added 215 receiving yards. Bernard is healthy once again for the playoffs, but Hill was the dominant rusher in weeks 16 and 17. Hill rushed for 5.1 yards per carry this season. Bernard and Hill have two and three years left on their respective contracts, it is needless to say that given the seasons that these two have had (Bernard also finished with over 1,000 all-purpose yards) the Bengals may have one of the best one-two punches in the NFL. It will be interesting also to watch these two perform in the playoffs.
9. LeSean McCoy
Some may argue that Shady belongs higher on this list, but his play in 2014 dropped off significantly in comparison to his 2013 during which he led the league in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. Don’t get us wrong, he rushed for 1,319 yards, which is amazing, but he dropped down to just five all-purpose touchdowns this year and had his lowest receiving total of his career with just 155 yards. Obviously, this was partially a result of Darren Sproles who ran and caught for over 700 yards, scoring six rushing touchdowns. Realistically, the 2013 NFL rushing leader had a great 2014, but wasn’t able to match what he did either last year or in 2011, when he led the league in rushing scores. The Eagles had a strong year despite not making the playoffs, and McCoy will be just 27 when the 2015 season starts. Chances are, Philadelphia can rely on a few more years of solid productivity out of him yet.
8. Matt Forte
Most of the news in Chicago was negative this year. They had a defense that just didn’t work, their quarterback fumbled and threw picks like it was going out of style and the team ended up 5-11, finishing last in the NFC North. Their 29-year-old Pro Bowl running back however, looked very sharp. Admittedly, his 3.9 yards per carry isn’t great when compared to some other rushers, but he still managed to rush for 1,038 yards and set a new NFL record for running back receptions. He caught 102 passes in 2014, for a total of 808 yards. He finished third in the NFL in terms of yards from scrimmage in 2014, and while his team looked pretty rough, it was a memorable individual effort. With ten all-purpose touchdowns, it was Forte’s second most productive season. He scored twelve touchdowns and ran and caught for 1,933 yards (84 more) in 2013. The bottom line is: no matter how bad the Bears get, Forte still puts up numbers.
7. Jamaal Charles
Despite a notable drop in productivity from 2013, Jamaal Charles is still a top ten running back in the NFL. He had a God awful start to the season with just 46 total yards between his first two games. After that, however, he turned it on and started to contribute. His best showing of 2014 came against the Seattle Seahawks when he rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns in week 11. He rushed for a total of 1,033 yards and caught 40 passes for 291 yards. In terms of scoring his year-end totals were nine rushing touchdowns and five receiving. As previously noted, Charles saw less production across the board, much like LeSean McCoy. He scored 19 all-purpose touchdowns in 2013, but such production cannot be expected year after year from a running back. Charles still leads the NFL in terms of career average yards per attempt by an active running back, with 5.5.
6. Eddie Lacy
After what was a very slow start, Eddie Lacy hit his stride against Minnesota in week five, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns. For the rest of the year he looked like his 2013 self; crushing would-be tacklers and rushing for 1,139 yards, while catching 42 passes for 427 yards. He finished with 13 touchdown on the year, and 4.6 yards per carry; a full half yard per carry better than his Offensive Rookie of the Year season in 2013. Lacy and the Green Bay Packers face nothing but tough opposition from here on, as they rest up for their first playoff game in next week’s divisional round.
Stay tuned for the finale of our list. Running backs 5-1 coming soon.
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