Goal-Line and Third-Down Back Breakdowns
Based on preseason usage and my own understanding, here is a breakdown of the favorites for goal-line carries and third-down snaps in each NFL team's backfield.
Arizona Cardinals
Starter: Tim Hightower
GL Carries: Tim Hightower/Beanie Wells > Jason Wright
Third Down: Hightower > Wright > LaRod Stephens-Howling
Atlanta Falcons
Starter: Michael Turner
GL Carries: Michael Turner > Ovie Mughelli > Jason Snelling
Third Down: Jerious Norwood > Snelling > Verron Haynes
Baltimore Ravens
Starter: Ray Rice
GL Carries: Willis McGahee > Le'Ron McClain/Ray Rice
Third Down: Rice > McGahee/McClain
Buffalo Bills
Starter: Marshawn Lynch
GL Carries: Marshawn Lynch > Fred Jackson > Xavier Omon
Third Down: Jackson > Lynch > Dominic Rhodes
Carolina Panthers
Starter: DeAngelo Williams
GL Carries: DeAngelo Williams > Jonathan Stewart > Mike Goodson
Third Down: Williams > Goodson/Stewart
Chicago Bears
Starter: Matt Forte
GL Carries: Matt Forte > Kevin Jones > Jason McKie
Third Down: Forte > Jones > Garrett Wolfe/Adrian Peterson
Cincinnati Bengals
Starter: Cedric Benson
GL Carries: Cedric Benson > Bernard Scott > Brian Leonard
Third Down: Benson/Scott > Leonard > DeDe Dorsey
Cleveland Browns
Starter: Jamal Lewis
GL Carries: Jamal Lewis > James Davis > Jerome Harrison
Third Down: Harrison > Davis > Lewis
Dallas Cowboys
Starter: Marion Barber
GL Carries: Marion Barber > Felix Jones > Tashard Choice
Third Down: Barber > Jones > Choice
Denver Broncos
Starter: Correll Buckhalter
GL Carries: Peyton Hillis > LaMont Jordan > Correll Buckhalter
Third Down: Knowshon Moreno > Hillis/Buckhalter > Jordan
Detroit Lions
Starter: Kevin Smith
GL Carries: Kevin Smith > Jerome Felton > Maurice Morris
Third Down: Smith > Morris/Aaron Brown
Green Bay Packers
Starter: Ryan Grant
GL Carries: Ryan Grant > John Kuhn > DeShawn Wynn
Third Down: Brandon Jackson > Wynn > Grant/Tyrell Sutton
Houston Texans
Starter: Steve Slaton
GL Carries: Chris Brown > Steve Slaton > Arian Foster
Third Down: Slaton > Ryan Moats > Brown/Foster
Indianapolis Colts
Starter: Joseph Addai
GL Carries: Joseph Addai/Donald Brown > Chad Simpson > Mike Hart
Third Down: Addai/Brown > Hart > Simpson
Jacksonville Jaguars
Starter: Maurice Jones-Drew
GL Carries: Maurice Jones-Drew > Greg Jones > Rashad Jennings
Third Down: Jones-Drew > Jennings/Jones > Chauncey Washington
Kansas City Chiefs
Starter: Larry Johnson
GL Carries: Larry Johnson > Jackie Battle > Jamaal Charles
Third Down: Charles > Battle > Johnson
Miami Dolphins
Starter: Ronnie Brown
GL Carries: Ronnie Brown > Ricky Williams > Lousaka Polite
Third Down: Brown > Patrick Cobbs > Williams
Minnesota Vikings
Starter: Adrian Peterson
GL Carries: Adrian Peterson > Chester Taylor > Albert Young
Third Down: Taylor > Peterson > Young/Ian Johnson
New England Patriots
Starter: Fred Taylor
GL Carries: Sammy Morris > Laurence Maroney > Fred Taylor
Third Down: Kevin Faulk > Maroney > Taylor
New Orleans Saints
Starter: Pierre Thomas/Reggie Bush
GL Carries: Pierre Thomas > Mike Bell > Heath Evans
Third Down: Reggie Bush > Thomas > Bell
New York Giants
Starter: Brandon Jacobs
GL Carries: Brandon Jacobs > Ahmad Bradshaw > Danny Ware
Third Down: Bradshaw > Jacobs > Ware
New York Jets
Starter: Thomas Jones
GL Carries: Thomas Jones > Shonn Greene > Leon Washington
Third Down: Jones/Washington > Greene
Oakland Raiders
Starter: ???
GL Carries: Justin Fargas/Michael Bush > Darren McFadden
Third Down: McFadden > Bush/Fargas > Louis Rankin
Philadelphia Eagles
Starter: Brian Westbrook
GL Carries: Brian Westbrook > LeSean McCoy/Kyle Eckel
Third Down: Westbrook > McCoy > Leonard Weaver
Pittsburgh Steelers
Starter: Willie Parker
GL Carries: Willie Parker/Rashard Mendenhall > Isaac Redman
Third Down: Mewelde Moore > Parker/Mendenhall
San Diego Chargers
Starter: LaDainian Tomlinson
GL Carries: LaDainian Tomlinson > Darren Sproles > Gartrell Johnson
Third Down: Tomlinson > Sproles > Michael Bennett
San Francisco 49ers
Starter: Frank Gore
GL Carries: Frank Gore > Glenn Coffee > Michael Robinson
Third Down: Gore > Coffee/Robinson > Kory Sheets
Seattle Seahawks
Starter: Julius Jones
GL Carries: Edgerrin James/Julius Jones > Owen Schmitt/Justin Griffith
Third Down: James/Jones > Justin Forsett > Griffith
St. Louis Rams
Starter: Steven Jackson
GL Carries: Steven Jackson > Samkon Gado > Antonio Pittman
Third Down: Jackson > Gado > Kenneth Darby
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Starter: ???
GL Carries: Cadillac Williams > Derrick Ward > Earnest Graham
Third Down: Ward > Williams > Clifton Smith
Tennessee Titans
Starter: Chris Johnson
GL Carries: LenDale White > Chris Johnson > Javon Ringers
Third Down: Johnson > White > Ringer
Washington Redskins
Starter: Clinton Portis
GL Carries: Clinton Portis > Ladell Betts > Mike Sellers
Third Down: Betts > Portis > Rock Cartwright
Comments
... running back report
Posted by: scott c | August 31, 2009 04:09 PM
you love it scott c.
Posted by: evan | August 31, 2009 04:19 PM
Evan, what are you basing your projections for Tampa Bay's GL carries section on?
I haven't seen anything in preseason to indicate that it will break down along the lines of GL Carries: Cadillac Williams > Derrick Ward > Earnest Graham, and everything I've heard about TC so far fails to indicate that kind of hierarchy.
Do you have information on this? Is it largely based on the staff's belief in Caddy/Ward's talent?
Thanks much.
Posted by: mlane | August 31, 2009 04:22 PM
in the "rapid rise of Ray Rice" you said that he would be getting the goalline carries and now here youre saying its Mcgahee?
Posted by: Dolph Lungren | August 31, 2009 04:28 PM
If you read our last post on McGahee, you'll see why Willis seems to be the slight favorite on the GL. In the Rapid Rise of Ray Rice, I said it "appeared" Rice would get goal-line carries based on his staying in for the entire goal-line package in the second preseason game.
It's worth noting that almost all of McGahee's carries have come with the second-team offense (pointed out in "Running with the ones"). Rice does not have short-yardage work wrapped up. But he remains in the mix and is clearly the first-string tailback. If, in a given regular season game, Rice is hot on a particular possession, it's fairly hard to imagine him being replaced by McGahee or LeRon McClain on the goal line. He is still part of the goal-line package, or at least certain goal-line packages.
None of this stuff is set in stone. All we can do is make our best, most educated guess. Right now, I'd still consider Baltimore's competition for goal-line carries wide open.
Posted by: evan | August 31, 2009 05:17 PM
Evan,
Based upon your research and the anticipated RB breakdowns and the resulting work loads ... which two of the following would you bet on as RB4 and RB5 - Fred Jackson, Shonn Greene or James Davis?
Posted by: BP | August 31, 2009 07:27 PM
BP: Fred Jackson > James Davis > Shonn Greene
Posted by: evan | August 31, 2009 08:38 PM