The Super Bowl betting is getting ramped up and football fans are ready for the playoffs to begin. In most cases, it is the quarterbacks and the defenses that get all of the attention. The fate of a team is often determined by any key injuries to its signal caller or on the front line of the defense. But it is the running back that takes the pressure off of the quarterback and allows the offense to be efficient. The price per head sports experts remember that the Green Bay Packers went into the playoffs last year with one of the worst running games in football. But when James Starks started running in the wild card game against the Philadelphia Eagles last year, the Packers suddenly had a running game and went on to win the Super Bowl. It is difficult to imagine a Super Bowl champion without a great running back performance. Here are some running backs to watch in these playoffs. Isaac Redman – Pittsburgh Steelers Isaac Redman wasn’t supposed to be the Steelers’ starting running back in the playoffs. But when Rashard Mendenhall was placed out of the lineup with a torn ACL, Redman was asked to step up. According to the pay per head sports experts, this was the best season of Redman’s career. He has gained 479 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns. But it is Redman’s 4.4 yards per carry average that has Steelers fans thinking that Redman may be able to handle the load in the playoffs. Ryan Grant – Green Bay Packers With James Starks out with a bad knee, the Packers need another hero at running back. Ryan Grant was a 1,000+ yards per season rusher earlier in his career. But the emergence of James Starks has caused head coach Mike McCarthy to split running back duties on the offense. A bodog review of the Packers’ offense shows that the team is able to ramp up the responsibilities of the running game in the playoffs. The only question is whether or not Grant will be able to respond. Darren Sproles – New Orleans Saints It was supposed to be rookie running back Mark Ingram carrying the load for the Saints in the playoffs, but Ingram is out of the playoffs with an injury. That leaves former San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles to carry the ball for New Orleans. It would be a betonline scam to suggest that Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees needs a running game to score points. But in the playoffs, having some kind of running game is one of the common keys to success. Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens The Ravens offense may be quarterbacked by Joe Flacco, but it can only go as far as Ray Rice can carry it. The best player on the Baltimore offense is Ray Rice, and he has been more than capable of carrying the burden of scoring points for the Ravens to this point.
