The frequency of running plays may be down significantly leaguewide from the smash-mouth days of 1970s and 80s, but the being able to safely gain yardage by handing the ball off to a productive running back behind an overpowering offensive line remains an essential component in every offense and usually translates into wins.
However, rostering a dominant feature back without elite, or at least above-average, quarterback play and a porous defense has left several teams on the outside looking in during the NFL postseason.
A hodgepodge of physically gifted running backs have resided in the NFC North over the past three years, but the vast majority of them have fallen short of expectations due to a myriad of reasons, including injuries, misuse or subpar blocking.