2. New England Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson & TreVeyon Henderson
One of the biggest reasons why the New England Patriots were able to have so much success offensively last season was how well they deployed the duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
And the committee approach should not have surprised anyone given the fact that Josh McDaniels was calling the shots.
Stevenson and Henderson combined last season for nearly 2100 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Henderson wound up leading the team in total touches, which he earned more and more over the course of the season.
Henderson averaged 5.1 yards per carry with Stevenson averaging 4.6, so these guys were effective on a per-carry basis as well as pretty much anytime they got the ball out of the backfield as receivers. Henderson also added some value as a kickoff returner on occasion.
These two guys have complementary styles as runners and Henderson gives the Patriots at true home run threat. Anytime either player is on the field, the Patriots are able to disguise run/pass pre-snap. This duo is one of the best in the league and could be even better as Henderson gets more comfortable.
1. Buffalo Bills: James Cook & Ray Davis
The Bills have a couple of backup running backs good enough to be considered for this spot, but James Cook is the one leading the charge.
Last season, Cook finished with over 1,900 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns, and dare I say he's capable of a lot more in the passing game. He had 44 catches with 4 TDs back in his second NFL season, but he's had just 33 and 32 catches in the last two seasons, respectively.
But the Bills don't short-change Cook in his overall workload. In fact, he set a career-high with 342 total touches last season as the featured weapon in Buffalo's offense. He's a true game-changer at the position.
You could choose either Ray Davis or Ty Johnson for the other half of this duo, but either way, it's still the best in the division. Ray Davis was an All-Pro last season as a return man, averaging 30.4 yards per kickoff return with one touchdown. He added 4.7 yards per carry as a backup running back and over 360 yards from scrimmage offensively.
Davis was even more productive during his rookie year with 631 yards from scrimmage and 6 total touchdowns. The Bills have a special running game overall, and their stable of backs is deep.
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