Top NFL 5 running backs of 2016
Monday 30 January 2017 15:03, UK
Quarterbacks might get most of the limelight in the NFL, but there are running backs who sometimes give them a run for their money (and their MVP titles).
There have been some outstanding performances from the RB's this season, including rookie-chasers and veterans returning to dominate.
Sky Sports takes a look at some of the best performances this season.
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
With 16 touchdowns and 1,631 yards, the 21-year-old Cowboy has been the strongest running back in the game this year. He is the first rookie to top the table since 1999, having been drafted fourth overall by Dallas.
Elliott has spearheaded Dallas' campaign for the play-offs and remains an outsider to become only the second non-quarterback to win MVP in the last decade.
David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
The NFL leads all running backs in scoring, with 20 touchdowns (16 rushing, four receiving), and has had one of the most consistent seasons in football this year for the Cardinals.
Johnson finished the regular season almost 400 rushing yards behind Elliott, but he leads the way on total scrimmage yards as the only RB in the NFL to have broken the 2,000-yard mark (2,118).
It was a disappointing season for the Cardinals, who finished the year 7-8-1, but Johnson's second-year performances showed that there is still hope in Arizona.
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Having missed the first three games of the season due to suspension, 24-year-old Bell had some ground to make up in the regular season.
He did just that, becoming a focal point of the Pittsburgh Steelers attack, which led the team to the play-offs. Bell's 1,884-yard haul (gained in just 12 game) earned him the second-best yards-per-game stat in the league at 105.7 (inferior only to Elliott).
DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans
The former Offensive Player of the Year (whilst at Dallas Cowboys) has had yet another memorable season. He was the third-best rusher in the league this year, having gained 1,287 yards in 16 games.
His maiden-season heroics with the Titans have helped the team recover from a thoroughly forgettable 2015 season, after they finished with the worst record in the league at 3-13.
This year, they achieved the largest biggest turnaround in the history of the franchise by going 9-7, after beating AFC South division champions, Houston Texans, on the final day of the regular season.
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
The Bills lost to the New York Jets on the final day of the season to finish 7-9, but that didn't stop LeSean McCoy from rushing for 1,267 regular season yards in 234 attempts.
Since coach Rex Ryan was fired after two seasons in charge, the Bills have employed Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator.
The former Broncos OC will look to make the most of Buffalo's running back superstar, and the 28-year-old McCoy will likely play an equally important role next year.
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