How The Running Back Position Can Return To Prominence
Sometimes I like to make declarations about what’s to come. I think this one is trending in the right direction, wouldn’t you say? The league is about putting up points. Nobody can stop anyone anymore. If you don’t have an elite quarterback, you don’t have a starting point. Load up on as many good wide receivers as you can get your hands on while committing the fewest amount of resources to the running back position as possible.
Right now the running back position is dead. What if it doesn’t have to be? The days of a running back going in the first round are numbered. The NFL is a passing league and will never revert back to how it used to be. There is a way for the running back position to become relevant again. The league just doesn’t use this specific formation yet.
I believe a day will come when a team decides to use two running backs at the same time. Yes, sometimes teams do this already. There have been times when Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have been on the field at the same time. Nobody has actually gotten creative with it yet.
Let’s be real. How many good tight ends are there out there? It’s Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, and maybe Kyle Pitts if Atlanta stops being a disaster. That’s your list. Some teams don’t have a single one that can even catch a pass.
There was a time when Bill Belichick put on a coaching clinic by having Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski on the field at the same time together. I believe a day will come when the double running back set destroys people. In fact, back in an OG Madden, I created an entire playbook of this. Maybe a project for another day.
The idea goes like this. The quarterback either lines up under center or shotgun. Every misdirection creates a redirection on the opposite side. It’s a three receiver set that constantly sends someone in motion. There are two running backs in the backfield that constantly line up differently to confuse the defense. The way this idea works is simple. Get rid of the tight end and have two backs you can dump the ball to in passing situations. They have to be good enough to block when called upon but the biggest thing will be creating yards after the catch.
You can’t just run the ball anymore. The smart teams know this. Having a first down run play that turns into a two yard gain is a drive killer. I need a screen that can pick me up five while transitioning that into a motion play that I’ve now schemed up a run to a side of the field where they don’t have enough defenders on. More importantly, fast running backs out of the backfield create mismatch covering problems. Good luck having that linebacker cover James Cook on a passing route. When the defense realizes that it’s really a passing offense, it gets jammed down your throat with an additional running back option on the field that can serve as a fullback. What matters is playcalling versatility.
Remember once upon a time people tried to argue that OJ Howard was better than Evan Engram? I’m still not sure it made sense other than the fact that Howard could block. If Engram is on the field, it’s not because he’s in there to block. It blows your disguise. That should never be an issue in this formation.
It’s something that will happen when someone is crazy enough to try it. Especially given the fact that quarterbacks are more mobile than ever. You’re not wasting a player when the quarterback is involved in the run game. Teams do run the read options but have they done it with two running backs on the field at the same time? Do they do it with three speed demon receivers that can audible into a big play at any time?
The running back position will return to prominence. It’s just a matter of having someone that can run, block, and most importantly catch.
