Sports Illustrated NFL Backfield Rankings

[Bucket]

Ray Rice-Bernard Pierce duo headlines list of NFL's best backfields | Audibles - SI.com

Tier 1
1. Baltimore Ravens (Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce; FB Vonta Leach)
2. Houston Texans (Arian Foster, Ben Tate; FB Greg Jones)
3. Minnesota Vikings (Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart; FB Jerome Felton)
4. Seattle Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch, Christine Michael, Robert Turbin; FB Michael Robinson)
5. San Francisco 49ers (Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James; FB Bruce Miller)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Doug Martin, Brian Leonard; FB Erik Lorig)

Tier 2
7. New England Patriots (Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount)
8. Atlanta Falcons (Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown)
10. Buffalo Bills (C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson)
11. Chicago Bears (Matt Forte, Michael Bush)

Tier 3
12. New Orleans Saints (Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles)
13. Tennessee Titans (Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene; FB Craig Stevens)
14. Kansas City Chiefs (Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis)
15. New York Giants (David Wilson, Andre Brown; FB Henry Hynoski)
16. Detroit Lions (Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Mikel Leshoure)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Giovani Bernard)
18. Cleveland Browns (Trent Richardson, Brandon Jackson)
19. Washington Redskins (Alfred Morris, Roy Helu; FB Darrel Young)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Forsett, Denard Robinson)


Not sure How I feel about this... I really do think we should be higher. I really think D. Young is one of the best FB's in the league. I wish they would of added a bit more explanation to the rankings.. Seem's a little bit disrespectful to the #1 rushing attack in the NFL last year.

[artmonkforhallofamein07]

Wow NO love for anything we did last year. Makes you wonder what kind drugs those guys are on. We were the best rushing team in football last year. That's all I care about.

[Green Monk Machine]

I understand Alfred Morris isn't respected and is viewed as having success primarily b/c of RG3. Helu is coming off an injury and both guys need a season together to prove to others. Yeah, it's a low rank. DYoung is underrated too.

What shocked me was the giants, bengals, and browns ranked better. Heck even the Bucs.
Whatever, start this season already. I just watched rg3's will to win and I'm ready to run thru a brick wall right now.

[Chico23231]

Jeez. I guess they didn't see the final team rushing stats for the year. Laughable. These effing talking heads. Lets just get the season started already.

[Hog1]

I guess it like goes in.......inverse order?

[FRPLG]

I mean that's a joke right?

[skinsfaninok]

yeah we had the best rushing attack and morris had 1600 yards..... makes sense

[SmootSmack]

Joe Redskin talked to the author about it and some of his thinking. JR want to fill them in?

[SFREDSKIN]

I like flying way under the radar and then surprise all the doubters. Who cares what this clown thinks, we know what we got.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Did Cris Carter write this?!?

[CultBrennan59]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

I like flying way under the radar and then surprise all the doubters. Who cares what this clown thinks, we know what we got.

I think we are top 10 on this list, best case #6. But #20? No. Thats an awful ranking.

[That Guy]

this is either a troll or a joke.

has to be. #1 in rushing, #5 overall offense, but #19 in backfield talent? (#2-5 are ranked ahead of us)

seems strange, no?

[The Goat]

Bizarre ranking and article as it pertains to the best rushing attack in 2012. You can almost argue it'll be even better because we didn't have a healthy helu last season.

Whatever. Wins are what matter and this franchise appears to have cracked that code. To hell with the media.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Joe Redskin talked to the author about it and some of his thinking. JR want to fill them in?

Actually, that was someone else. I never got his response to my initial comment. Then saw yours. Had to go back to his feed to see conversation. Not sure how I got left out of the loop.

Essentially, he did not consider Morris w/out Shanahan & RGIII to be a top 10 back. Thought even more ranked higher than Helu. As Smootsmack pointed out, he simply didn't credit Helu for his 2011 efforts and really didn't seem to value Young very much. Admitted that he may have ranked TB high with Leonard as a back up.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Actually, that was someone else. I never got his response to my initial comment. Then saw yours. Had to go back to his feed to see conversation. Not sure how I got left out of the loop.

Essentially, he did not consider Morris w/out Shanahan & RGIII to be a top 10 back. Thought even more ranked higher than Helu. As Smootsmack pointed out, he simply didn't credit Helu for his 2011 efforts and really didn't seem to value Young very much. Admitted that he may have ranked TB high with Leonard as a back up.

It seems like the Skins offense gives all doubters excuses. If you want to doubt Griffin, he only succeeded because of Morris and the scheme. If you want to doubt Morris, well then he only succeeded because of Griffin and the scheme. If you want to doubt the scheme, well then it only worked because two good rookies were running it but this year it will be figured out.

I can't wait to see the Skins demonstrate that it all works because all three elements are just that damn good.