Although this week’s quarterback performances weren’t as excellent as we’re accustomed to seeing, we were able to witness some incredible performances from running backs, including in the passing game. Philadelphia Eagles scat back Darren Sproles has been used far more often than we could have imagined, and Chip Kelly has turned a mid-round pick into a central piece of his offense. Notable performances from Ahmad Bradshaw and Stevan Ridley weren’t able to make the cut, and Arizona Cardinals RB Andre Ellington deserves credit for carrying a Drew Stanton-led offense to victory.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Darren Sproles
Let’s get to Sproles, because this guy was absolutely phenomenal and helped lead a comeback against “Captain Comeback” Andrew Luck, as the Eagles ran their record to 2-0 after beating a playoff-worthy team in front of a national audience. Sproles looks even better than he did when catching passes from Drew Brees in the New Orleans Saints offense, as he hauled in all seven passes thrown at him for a monstrous 152 yards, meaning the Eagles averaged 21.7 yards whenever they threw it to him. His lone touchdown, however, came on the ground, as it was a beautiful 19-yard run that showcased the sprightly RB’s uncanny ability to force missed tackles; he’s incredibly tough for his size, too.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey
It looked like Buccaneers workhorse back Doug Martin would play against the St. Louis Rams after seemingly recovering fully from his Week 1 injury, but he ended up being a gameday inactive, thus allowing Bobby Rainey to get the start. Rainey blew up for one big game last year after Martin and talented No. 2 RB Mike James went down, and he blew up this week with Martin out. Rainey caught all three passes thrown at him for 30 yards to show off some pass-catching ability, which is something the Bucs like to see out of their backs (Martin and short-term IR rookie Charles Sims excel in this regard). But, of course, the coaching staff’s favorite had an even bigger day on the ground with a whopping 144 yards on 22 carries for a fantastic average of 6.5 yards per attempt. Martin might only be the workhorse back in name, because the Bucs clearly like Rainey and have been getting plenty of production out of him.
Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray emerged as one of the league’s best running backs last season, quelling the inane concerns knocking his ability to forced missed tackles or his ability to be a lead back in this league. He picked up right where he left off this year, and we can only hope that he remains healthy.
After tearing up the San Francisco 49ers run defense in Week 1 as the only remarkable performance on a Cowboys offense that did almost nothing well, Murray dominated the Tennessee Titans front seven on Sunday, ripping off 167 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. With Murray, the Cowboys are committed to running the football more than ever before, and it’s yielded predictably excellent results.
Houston Texans RB Arian Foster
Bill O’Brien wasn’t lying when he stated that he would use Arian Foster as a bellcow, but most of us can only hope that the Texans ease up a bit on his usage rate and don’t ruin him like Gary Kubiak did. Foster suffered a major injury last season after years of carrying the load, so it’s important for him to be spelled on occasion. But with Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the passing attack as the quintessential game manager, it’s up to Foster to carry the Texans offense to victory. He did just that on Sunday against an Oakland Raiders defense that simply had no answer for one of the NFL’s elite RBs, as Foster bruised them up for 138 yards and a TD on 28 carries in a relentless display. With only two receptions, the Raiders didn’t feel Foster’s wrath as a pass-catcher, but they sure as heck got to know him on the ground a little too well.
New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram
I used to criticize Mark Ingram heavily during the first few years of his career, and I could never fathom why the New Orleans Saints traded up in the first round for a running back. But I quickly turned into a believer last year when I saw him dominate the Carolina Panthers tough front seven on a rainy day after dominating the weak Dallas Cowboys defense prior to that. The Cowboys D served as a catalyst for Ingram’s breakout and resurgence, though it also came after he hit a very low point early in the 2013 season. Ingram’s biggest game came in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he carried that over into Weeks 1 and 2 with dominant days.
Ingram received just 11 carries in a 26-24 upset loss to the Cleveland Browns, but he and Jimmy Graham were two very bright spots for a Saints offense that, quite honestly, underperformed against the Browns. The former Heisman winner racked up 83 yards and a touchdown with three receptions, averaging 7.5 yards per carry in another excellent display. He actually broke his hand in that game and will, sadly, be out for at least a month, so we can only hope he gets back on track quickly and doesn’t get Wally Pipped by Khiry Robinson (though Saints fans obviously wouldn’t mind having two impressive young backs on their hands).