Running game still alive and well in the NFL

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has a chance to become only the eighth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

Steelers second-year tailback Le'Veon Bell, the NFL's second-leading rusher with 951 yards, had his first 200-yard game in Pittsburgh's comeback win over the Titans last Monday.

Patriots running back Jonas Gray, a former practice-squad player making his first NFL start, ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns in New England's win over the Colts last Sunday.

So much for the notion that the NFL has been swept up by the passing game and turned a blind eye toward the rushing attack. Even with rules changes that have made it increasingly easier for quarterbacks to produce plenty of yards and touchdowns through the air, the running game still holds a prominent place in today's game.

And while there may have been a paucity of running backs selected with high draft picks in recent years, suggesting a gradual devaluation of the position, the running game itself is alive and well.

Consider:

Of the top 10 rushing teams through 11 weeks, only the Jets are out of playoff contention.

This season, games are averaging 221.1 rushing yards. Through 11 games in the 1990 season, when the NFL was in its rushing heyday, the average was almost identical -- 221.6 yards.

In 1990, eight backs finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards, led by Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (1,304). This year, 10 are on pace for more than 1,000 yards. Murray, who faces the Giants on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, leads the way with 1,233 yards.

Rushing attempts are almost identical, too. In 1990, teams averaged 27.8 rushing attempts per game. Last year, they averaged 27.1 per game. This year, it is 26.8 per game, although that number could rise slightly as inclement weather late in the season forces teams in outdoor games to run more.

Touchdown passes are up in today's game and rushing touchdowns are down slightly. In 1990, teams averaged 20.5 passing touchdowns and 13.5 rushing touchdowns per season. In 2013, average passing touchdowns increased to 25.1 per team and rushing touchdowns dipped to 12.8.

It's the increase of the passing offense that makes it seem as if teams are running the ball less. And there is conclusive evidence that there has been a major uptick in the passing game. This year, games are averaging a whopping 484.3 passing yards. That's nearly 100 yards more per game than at this point in the 1990 season (390.9). Scoring is up, too; games are averaging 45.9 points through 11 games this year compared to 40.8 in 1990 and 36.9 in 1993.

But while passing offenses have flourished in an era in which rules changes make it increasingly more challenging for defensive players to cover receivers, it has not come at the expense of the running game. Or at least not as much as it may be perceived.

"You see a lot of teams in this league -- winning teams -- still rely on the running game,'' said Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, whose two Super Bowl titles with the Giants relied on a heavy dose of running. Joe Morris was the workhorse back in 1986 and Ottis Anderson was the Super Bowl MVP in 1990. "You may see some changes in the way the carries are spread around, but there is still a place for the running game in this league.''

The Cowboys, who head into their game against the Giants with a 7-3 record and a share of first place in the NFC East, are the best example. With Murray having a career year, the offense is much more balanced, making it easier for quarterback Tony Romo. With the threat of a play-action passing game in which defenses have to respect the run and can't afford to overplay the pass, the Cowboys have been terrific in using a versatile passing attack to complement Murray's powerful inside running game.

"That has always been something we've strived for around here, to be a balanced attack, to be able to attack a defense a lot of different ways,'' Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.

And it's not just Murray. It's the guys in front of him, too.

"It starts with the guys up front on the offensive line,'' Garrett said. "We made a real commitment to get better on the offensive line here in the last three or four years by using a first- round pick to draft guys. We think it has been a good investment for our team, and it really allows you to do what you want to do offensively. It allows you to feature the skill players that you have both in the running game and in the passing game. I think DeMarco Murray has been a beneficiary of that. He has certainly done a heck of a job himself contributing to the success of our running game. It is absolutely a team thing, and he will be the first one to tell you.''

The Cowboys rely heavily on Murray, as do the Seahawks on tailback Marshawn Lynch, who was a critical factor in their march to the Super Bowl title last season. But more teams are willing to share the load among multiple backs. This running-backs-by-committee approach once was seen as a sign of weakness because a team didn't have a clear-cut No. 1 back but now is considered a luxury because the runners don't wear down as easily by the end of the season.

The Jets have relied on this approach through most of Rex Ryan's tenure, and although the team is out of the playoff mix at 2-8, Ryan continues to believe in the style. This year, Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson have shouldered most of the responsibility in the running game. And although the approach has been somewhat frustrating for Johnson, who was the Titans' No. 1 back before being released after last season, Ivory thinks it works out well.

"I think more teams are starting to do it like this,'' Ivory said of the multiple-backs approach. "When I was in New Orleans , I had the same system, so it worked out well. I think the rotation system helps keep you fresher.''

The Giants used the committee approach in both of their Super Bowl wins under Tom Coughlin. In the 2007 championship run, Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw -- nicknamed "Earth, Wind and Fire'' -- shared the load. In 2011, Bradshaw and Jacobs split carries, although the running game that year finished 32nd and last among NFL teams in the regular season.

Former Browns general manager Phil Savage, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, said the trend toward a running-backs-by-committee approach may be here to stay. "Almost everyone has gone to a backfield-by-committee approach,'' he said. "As offenses have become more specialized, defenses have mirrored that and it has captured the running back spot as well.''

And that's where the so-called "devaluation'' of the running back comes in. While teams still use the running game at a consistent rate from years past, general managers increasingly believe that they can look lower in the draft to fill their needs at running back and save higher picks for other positions, notably quarterback, the defensive and offensive lines, and cornerback.

In the past two drafts, no backs were taken in the first round. "There are a lot of GMs and coaches who now feel like they can find a running back at almost any level of the draft that can at least perform a certain role,'' Savage said.

Many of the top running backs today were draft-day bargains. Murray was a third-round choice in 2011. Bell was a second-rounder in 2013. Houston's Arian Foster, the league's third-leading rusher, was an undrafted free agent in 2009. Of the top 10 rushers this year, only Lynch was a first-round pick.

It's further proof that a team doesn't need to draft a running back high to get a quality player. And evidence that the trend is almost certain to continue.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”