Where, Oh Where Have the Running Backs Gone?

     I want to ask a question today. What has happened to the elite running backs in the NFL?  Growing up I remember so many great ones. Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis to name a few.  It seemed like every team had a solid running back. Nowadays great running backs seem few and far between. Adrian Peterson has been one of the best but he is older now and got injured this past week. Todd Gurley has the potential to be really good but the Rams have no passing game whatsoever so teams will be mainly focused on stopping him. Ezekiel Elliot also has potential but he is only 2 games into his NFL career. Doug Martin always  seems to be among the rushing leaders by the end of the yeR, but he has never taken the next step to be great. The one player I could see beicoming elite is Le'Veon Bell, but he seems to get suspended as often as Tony Romo gets injured, so we will see how that goes.
     The NFL is increasingly becoming a pass-oriented league. Last year there were 7 1,000 yard rushers. 10 years ago, 19 running backs reached that plateau.  On the other hand, there were 23 quarterbacks who threw for over 3,000 yards last year as opposed to 14 a decade ago.  I get it. Deep passes and high octane, quick score offenses are much flashier and fun to watch, therefore the NFL makes more money. Running the ball takes more time and is not as entertaining to watch for most people.
     Personally I disagree. I always loved watching running backs with their skill. Knowing when to be agile and make moves, and when to power over defenders. Running the ball takes a lot of skill and I love watching players excel at that. And let's not forget the unsung heroes of the running game, fullbacks.  The guys who would line up in front of the running backs and lead the way.  As the running game has steadily decreased, fullbacks have all but gone out of existence.  Now teams rarely use a lead blocker, or if they do it is just another running back or a tight end. Running the balm just isn't as important anymore.
     Will the running game ever come back like it used to be?  Perhaps. Often times in sports, strategies go in cycles. One way gets poulpular for a while, then eventually another way starts to take over because no one else is doing it. So we will see. The elite running backs may yet come back in the NFL. I certainly hope so.