Backfield Breakdowns: Week 8

Week 6 was a running back wasteland, with only 2 players topping 100 yards. Week 7? The rebound. Running backs dominated the week, posting 9 100-yard rushing games. We also saw 9 100-yard rushing games in Week 5, though two quarterbacks were involved. Weeks with that many 100-yard rushers in 2025? Zero. 

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How does the NFL running back landscape look heading into Week 8?

Backfields Worth Noting

Some backfields saw noteworthy movement in Week 7:

• Chicago: Just when we think the Bears will run a committee in all situations, we get a short-week Island Game special from D'Andre Swift.
• Cleveland: Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson both returned from injuries. The result? A role-specific split. Judkins will lead in touches, but Sampson will lead in passing usage.
• Denver: Jonah Coleman, J.K. Dobbins, and RJ Harvey could be anything. The Broncos blew out Arizona, and Coleman led in touches. It feels like "when," not "if," that he will emerge as the top back. 
• Seattle: We are still waiting on Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet, but the Seahawks made a significant run game impact by trading for guard Quenton Nelson.

Bellcow Backfields

• Brian Robinson Jr. was out with an injury, which locked Bijan into a lead role. Robinson had his least efficient game since Week 18 of 2025. He caught five passes, his second-most of 2026. He didn't find the end zone, but it's hard to hate 122 scrimmage yards, just under his 130.83 average coming in. His 129.5 average puts him on pace for 2,202 scrimmage yards, just under his 2025 league-leading 2,298. Atlanta faces a stiff test in Week 8; Tampa Bay has the sixth-best run-defense EPA in the NFL. 

• Swift took the lead in Chicago's backfield as the Bears played their closest game in weeks. Johnson's lack of involvement was surprising, though in hindsight, it shows how lopsided the preceding games have been. Swift admitted he's been working through an injury after posting a season-high in carries. He has scored in three straight games, while Kyle Monangai has missed all three. The Bears face a tough Week 8, up against an elite Seattle run defense. If Monangai returns, Swift would push toward low RB2 territory. 

• Brown returning to Bellcow status is a welcome sight. Perine vulturing a touchdown is not. The Bengals played their best half of offensive football to come back and blow out the Ravens, granting optimism that the overall environment will be closer to our preseason expectations. If it happens for Brown, it will happen in November; he opens the month against Tennessee in Week 8, then closes it with Washington and New Orleans, the 31st- and 32nd-ranked run defenses.

• Gibbs leads the NFL with 166 touches. He's played one fewer game than the players behind him, Taylor (157 touches), Henry (157), and Bijan Robinson (156). Gibbs is on pace for 470 touches; James Wilder holds the record with 492. He failed to score for the first time in 2026, though he still topped 140 scrimmage yards in 4 of his 6 games. He went down awkwardly on a slide to close the game and limped afterward, though the Lions have not expressed concern about his availability. Week 8 will be his stiffest test yet against an elite Minnesota defense. 

• Marks handled every opportunity for the Texans after Jawhar Jordan landed on IR. His run as the Bellcow may be short; Houston has a Week 8 bye, and there is optimism David Montgomery will be ready to return from his groin injury following the week off. If Montgomery remains out, Week 9 will offer a great spot against the Chargers. 

• Walker was at the center of the Week 7 spotlight in a revenge game against Seattle. The elite run defense won out; Seattle has gone 36 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. Walker should rebound; Week 8 brings a Denver defense he posted a season-high 191 scrimmage yards against in Week 1. 

• The Raiders' run game struggles continued. Jeanty's 15 rushing yards were a season low; he has not topped 30 rushing yards since Week 4. He has survived based on the passing game, and 8 receptions were his season high. Despite the run game struggles, he is on pace for 1,555 scrimmage yards and has scored in consecutive games. Washington continues to draw praise from the coaches, though he entered the game battling an injury. His role has not grown to match the positive coach speak. The Raiders see the Jets in Week 8; though teams have exploited them through the air, we should expect the Raiders to follow that script. 

• Coming off their bye, Miami definitively declared Gordon their lead back. He has scored in 4  straight games and topped 100 rushing yards in 2 of 3. Week 8 could present a game-script issue, as the Dolphins face a strong Patriots offense and a defense that held them to under 70 rushing yards in both 2025 matchups. 

• Breece Hall was close to a return in Week 7; we should expect him to be available in Week 8. Allen has been excellent with Hall out, topping 100 scrimmage yards in 3 straight games. Even if Hall returns, Allen should still be a lineup consideration against a Raiders defense that allowed both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum Top 15 weeks in Week 7. 

• Pollard wins the surprise of the week. He has been a Bellcow when the game scripts have allowed, and Tyjae Spears missed Week 7, further clearing the runway. His 3 touchdowns tied his career high, and his 129 yards were his 4th-highest. He is the 8th Titans running back with 125+ yards and 3+ touchdowns. Derrick Henry did it 6 times, while Eddie George and Earl Campbell did it 2 times each.

Committees With a Lead Back