Week 1 can tell us a lot about how a team plans to split carries amongst its running backs. In Part 1, I will take a look at some of the top Running Back By Committees (RBBCs) in the NFC and examine how they divvied up the touches:

New York Giants
Last year it was Derrick Ward that ate into the workload of Brandon Jacobs, and this year it’s Ahmad Bradshaw (12 carries, 60 yards). Jacobs mustered only 46 yards on 16 carries, so Bradshaw was far more productive on Sunday. Jacobs caught two passes to Bradshaw’s three. Jacobs got three consecutive carries inside the Redskins’ 5-yard line and failed to pick up a first down. He is a fairly overrated goal line back. It appears that Bradshaw is picking up where Ward left off.

Seattle Seahawks
Julius Jones (19 carries, 117 yards, TD) was far more effective than Edgerrin James (11 carries, 30 yards). It should be noted that James only saw four of those carries in the first three quarters, so at this point in the season, Jones is the feature back. (Though it’s possible that the coaching staff intends to get James more involved as he becomes more acclimated to Seattle’s system.)

Washington Redskins
Much was made of the team’s decision to use Ladell Betts on third down, but he and Clinton Portis caught one pass apiece despite the fact that the Redskins trailed the entire game. (Betts was only targeted twice.) Portis had 16 carries (for 62 yards) to just two for Betts (for -2 yards). Portis is safely the Redskins’ RB1.

Arizona Cardinals
This was a pretty even split between Tim Hightower (8 carries, 15 yards) and Chris Wells (7 carries, 29 yards), but Wells was far more effective in the running game, ripping off a 15-yard run. However, Hightower led the Cardinals with 12 receptions for 121 yards. This was a tight game, so I’d expect Wells to get more carries when Arizona has the lead and Hightower to be very active in the passing game when the Cards are trailing. Obviously, Hightower could be quite valuable in PPR leagues.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
So much for the 2-2-1 split that the coaching staff talked about in preseason. This was a 50/50 split between Carnell Williams (13 carries, 97 yards, TD) and Derrick Ward (12 carries, 62 yards, TD). Ward caught two passes (on three targets) for 21 yards, while Williams was not targeted in the passing game. Ward got three carries inside the Dallas 5-yard line, but two came after Williams rattled off a 35-yard run and needed a breather. Williams came in after Ward failed twice to convert and scored. The Bucs have a good running game, so both guys are starter-quality. Ward’s value is enhanced in PPR leagues, while Williams figures to score more TDs.

Dallas Cowboys
There was some talk about Felix Jones eating into Marion Barber’s workload, maybe even as much as a 50/50 split, but Jones only carried the ball six times (for 22 yards), while Barber rushed 14 times for 79 yards and a score. (Jones did suffer a thigh bruise in the game.) Surprisingly, neither player was targeted in the passing game. Those duties fell to Tashard Choice, who had two receptions to go along with his two carries. This looks like Barber’s show for now.

New Orleans Saints
Mike Bell was the primary ball-carrier, rushing a whopping 28 times for 143 yards. He did not catch a pass. Meanwhile, Reggie Bush caught five passes for 55 yards and rushed seven times for 14 yards. Now Sean Payton is talking about a three-way committee once Pierre Thomas comes back. This could get ugly.

To see the AFC RBBCs, click here.