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NFL Notebook, Week 10: Game of the year, sleeping Titans, awards and more

By Zach Cohen

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks delivers a pass against the defense of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 11, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks delivers a pass against the defense of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 11, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 10: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against Devin Bush #55 of the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 10, 2019 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 10: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against Devin Bush #55 of the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 10, 2019 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Decline of the Running Backs

I had a startling realization. Seeing the struggles of David Johnson, Alvin Kamara and Todd Gurley this season makes me wonder just how long the shelf-life of a running back is in the modern NFL. Think about it.

Those three have been among the top running backs for a couple of seasons now. Johnson (now 27) owned the league in 2016, Gurley (25) was the best running back in the NFL in 2017, and Kamara (24) blew up the stat sheets in 2018. For what it’s worth, all were fantasy superstars, too.

This season, each has been dealing with injuries while watching backups steal carries from them. Kamara’s decline might be a little premature because it’s only his third season, but his situation this season smells eerily similar to the situations of Johnson and Gurley.

With the recent health issues and increased usage of Latavius Murray, I’m guessing Kamara will also see a decline in production, just like Johnson and Gurley have:

David Johnson

  • 2016: 23.9 touches per game (Weeks 1-10)
  • 2017: Missed 15 games with wrist injury
  • 2018: 19.3
  • 2019: 14.1

Todd Gurley

  • 2017: 23
  • 2018: 23.8
  • 2019: 14.9

Alvin Kamara

  • 2017: 11.9 (Rookie season)
  • 2018: 19.8
  • 2019: 18.7

Could this be the new norm for the NFL’s elite running backs, or is the decline just a factor of exhaustion due to the running backs’ dual-threat abilities? Maybe they’re just outliers? Time will tell what happens to them and other running backs like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook and more.

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