There are just eight teams left playing in the NFL postseason and only four will remain by Sunday night.
The Divisional Round will feature a ton of running back talent, including this year's rushing king in Derrick Henry, Minnesota's do-it-all dynamo Dalvin Cook and an old friend on Seattle in Marshawn Lynch. A bunch of other backs could steal the spotlight, too.
After examining the backfields of teams that are still alive in the playoffs, here is my ranking of the RBs I trust the most right now:
1) Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans: Have you seen this guy lately? Sure, the Titans have received a boost from Ryan Tannehill and the passing attack, but don't get it twisted: Tennessee made the playoffs and advanced to the Divisional Round because of what the RB has done. The league rushing champion put on a clinic against Bill Belichick's defense on Wild Card Weekend, leading the charge on both of Tennessee's offensive scoring drives and finishing with 182 rush yards and a TD on 34 carries. In fact, Henry has averaged 154.0 rush yards per game, 6.2 yards per carry and totaled 11 rush TDs since Week 11 (including playoffs). The Titans' offense will go as far as Henry will take it, and his ability to move the chains, control the clock and get in the end zone will be extremely valuable in keeping the Ravens' high-scoring offense off the field Saturday night.
2) Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings: In Week 16, the Cook-less Vikings had a measly seven first downs in an embarrassing loss to the Packers at home. Two weeks later WITH COOK, the Vikings went to the Superdome -- one of the hardest stadiums to play -- and beat a Super Bowl contender in the first round of the postseason. That's what Cook means to this team. He's the difference between losing and winning. With Cook on the field, Minnesota has a chance -- even against one of the league's top defenses in San Francisco.
3) Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers: Speaking of the Packers-Vikings bout in Week 16, Jones showed me more with his performance in that game than he had in any other. After fumbling on the first drive, he picked himself back up and put the team on his back, finishing with 154 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He's had this type of game-altering ability since he entered the league, but he's finally getting used in the right way as the feature back and an equal to Aaron Rodgers in this year's offense. Because of that, Jones was able to get in the end zone an NFL-best 19 times during the regular season. Green Bay's season feels far from over if Jones continues to get the rock.
4) San Francisco 49ers backfield: The 49ers have a unique backfield situation with three running backs -- Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida -- each registering 120-plus carries this season. All three of these guys can do everything in Kyle Shanahan's offense, and by having multiple players who can fill the RB roll in the run or pass games, they all stay fresh throughout the game. The offense runs through Coleman, Mostert and Breida, and their combined explosiveness allows the offense to earn chunk plays on the ground, in the quick passing game and in the deep passing game with play action. Not to mention, this trio has the luxury of running behind super blockers Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle. No wonder this is one of the best backfields in the NFL.
5) Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens: Ingram is day-to-day with a calf injury ahead of Saturday night's Divisional Round bout with Tennessee. Gus Edwards will likely get the start if Ingram can't go. Regardless if it's Ingram or Edwards taking the field for the Ravens' first offensive snap, the Baltimore RB1 gets the No. 5 slot here. Both running backs are physical, downhill bruisers whose styles pair well with Lamar Jackson. But no matter how dependable these running backs are, this unit runs through Lamar. And if the game is on the line, we know who's getting the ball. I'll give you a hint: It's neither Ingram nor Edwards.
6) Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans: Recording the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, Hyde has been a great addition to this offense, making the unit more explosive in the run game and boosting the play-action passing game. He's a running back who must be accounted for, but the offensive focal point is the quarterback (Deshaun Watson) -- just like in Baltimore and with the two remaining teams. Hyde is a viable option to move the chains on first and second down, but he's not the player Bill O'Brien turns to in third-down or must-score situations.
7) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks: It's evident that Lynch is still getting his legs underneath him after sitting out of game action for more than a year. In his two games with the Seattle Seahawks this season, Lynch has averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry. He has, however, been great at the goal line with two TDs in those two games. Lynch isn't the player he once was, but his experience and presence in the backfield keeps defenses honest.
8) Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have had a carousel of running backs this season, which is why Williams holds the last spot. It's not that I don't trust Williams. He's a talented running back who has shown flashes over the last two seasons. It's just that Kansas City's offense almost entirely depends on Patrick Mahomes' arm and play-making ability. The reigning MVP is so talented that it doesn't really matter who's lining up in the backfield.
Follow Maurice Jones-Drew on Twitter @MJD.
