The Detroit Lions and The Great Running Back Conundrum
By Mike Payton
2008
| Player | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Yards per carry |
| Kevin Smith | 238 | 976 | 8 | 4.1 |
| Rudi Johnson | 76 | 237 | 1 | 3.1 |
| Aveion Cason | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1.8 |
| Total | 318 | 1,220 | 9 | 3 |
| NFL Rank: 30th | ||||
| 08 Giants | 502 | 2,518 | 19 | 5 |
The Lions would once again hit the reset button on their rushing attack in 2008. The Lions drafted Kevin Smith n the 3rd round, which at the time seemed like an absolute steal for Detroit. The big exciting thing for the Lions that offseason was the signing of Pro Bowl running back Rudi Johnson. Coming off a down year in Cincinnati that saw him miss time with an injury, it looked like the Lions had got themselves another steal. sixteen games later the Lions were winless and Rudi jonson never played in the NFL again.
2009
| Player | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Yards per carry |
| Kevin Smith | 217 | 747 | 4 | 3.4 |
| Maurice Morris | 93 | 384 | 2 | 4.1 |
| Total | 310 | 1,131 | 6 | 5.4 |
| NFL Rank: 24th | ||||
| 09 Jets | 607 | 2,756 | 21 | 4.5 |
The Lions once again tried their hand at signing a career back up running back when they picked up Maurice Morris during free agency. Once again they were treated with similar results. Morris, who was trending upwards stat wise, began to fall and ultimately ended his career in Detroit. The Lions would finish the season at 2-14.
2010
| Player | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Yards per carry |
| Jahvid Best | 171 | 555 | 4 | 3.2 |
| Maurice Morris | 90 | 336 | 5 | 3.7 |
| Kevin Smith | 34 | 133 | 0 | 3.9 |
| Aaron Brown | 17 | 58 | 0 | 3.4 |
| Stefan Logan | 15 | 95 | 0 | 6.3 |
| Total | 327 | 1,177 | 9 | 4.1 |
| NFL Rank: 23rd | ||||
| Chiefs | 556 | 2,627 | 13 | 4.7 |
The Lions took a big chance when they traded up in the draft to get Jahvid Best. Take away the concussion issues and Best most likely would have been one of the top running backs selected in 2010. If Best would have worked out, it’s likely this article would be void and the Lions rushing attack would likely be successful at the moment. Best showed some promise in his rookie year and then Lions finished 6-10.
2011
| Player | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Yards per carry |
| Jahvid Best | 84 | 390 | 2 | 4.6 |
| Maurice Morris | 80 | 316 | 1 | 4 |
| Kevin Smith | 72 | 356 | 4 | 4.9 |
| Keiland Williams | 58 | 195 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Jerome Harrison | 14 | 41 | 0 | 2.9 |
| Stefan Logan | 9 | 32 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Total | 317 | 1,330 | 9 | 3.9 |
| NFL Rank: 29th | ||||
| 11 Broncos | 546 | 2,632 | 11 | 4.8 |
2011 started off as fun as a Lions season has ever started. The Lions got out to 5-0 start and the run game was flourishing. Jahvid Best was making big plays and fans were looking at Martin Mayhew with reverence. Then best suffered a career ending concussion and the Lions were forced to bring Kevin Smith back as their starter. The Lions went 5-6 down the stretch and returned to the playoffs. The loss of Best proved to be a major factor in the Lions turnaround in 2011.
2012
| Player | Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Yards per carry |
| Mikel Leshoure | 215 | 789 | 9 | 3.7 |
| Joique Bell | 82 | 414 | 3 | 5 |
| Kevin Smith | 37 | 414 | 3 | 3.6 |
| Stefan Logan | 3 | 17 | 0 | 5.7 |
| Keiland Williams | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 |
| Total | 339 | 1,637 | 15 | 3.9 |
| NFL Rank: 23rd | ||||
| 12 Redskins | 519 | 2,709 | 22 | 5.2 |
The reason the Lions drafted Mikel Leshoure was to form a one-two punch with Jahvid Best. After Best’s career came to a sudden end, the Lions were forced to move forward with Leshoure as their number one back. The problem is, Leshoure never quite recovered form his Achilles injury. While Leshoure did put forth a decent season, It’s not as good as it seems when you realize a decent amount of that production happened in one game. The Lions would finish the year at 4-12, but picked up a little known local guy by the name of Joique Bell.
Next: 2013-2014