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| | Getty Images |
| | LenDale White, left, and Fred Taylor, right, have a team-first attitude when it comes to sharing carries. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky
When Maurice Jones-Drew walked in the door at the Jacksonville Jaguars' complex, it would have been easy for Fred Taylor to get defensive. When Chris Johnson first zipped around the corner during a Titans practice, it would have been easy for LenDale White to be bitter.
But in today's NFL, a proven veteran back like Taylor and a still-learning runner like White both know not getting all the carries they'd like is for the greater good.
No NFL running back has control over the distribution of carries beyond knowing the better they run, the more they are likely to earn. But they all have control over how they handle the division of labor, and in the AFC South you won't hear any griping.
"Because I did it at the University of Florida, my whole thing is, just run the play, run the opportunity and make the most of it, whether it be I'm the sole guy back there or not," Taylor said. "At times throughout the course of the game, I get a little ticked that I'm not out there. But not to the point where it's going to create animosity or I'm going to be envious towards someone or it's going to create or stir a problem within the team.
"That's not me. That's the way of the league. That's the way it's shifting towards. Teams are realizing two-headed monsters and fresh legs are definitely better than one because defenses keep their guys out there any amount of time."
Changing pace is a big deal for NFL running games. No teams better illustrate the idea than the Jaguars and Titans, who square off Sunday afternoon in Nashville. They are two of the most determined running teams in the league, sticking with it when other teams might toss it out the window and throw more.
In his 11th year, Taylor remains an elusive runner, a cut-back guy who'll make a defense pay for over-pursuing. By comparison, Jones-Drew is painted as a bowling ball. He often initiates contact rather than looking to slip off it. Without the ball in his hand, he flattened San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman with a block on a pass play last year, a clip that ranked as a top 10 NFL highlight.
The Titans have been looking for a similar combo platter -- drafting three backs in the last three years with two-second round choices (White and Chris Henry) and one first-round choice (Johnson).
"We're going to use them both depending on the game plans and it makes sense to take advantage of both of their abilities," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I think we'll have a better gauge once we get to the middle part of the season how the carries and the touches are going to work. Provided they're healthy week in and week out, I would assume it would be close to 50-50, maybe 60-40."
In Houston, such a workload division could come about. But the Texans are still gauging what they'll be able to get out of Ahman Green and how much Chris Taylor and/or Steve Slaton can contribute. In Indianapolis, Dominic Rhodes and Mike Hart are sure to contribute, but Joseph Addai has established himself as such an effective back, he is likely to draw a higher percentage of his team's carries.
The Titans' new running back coach Earnest Byner was part of the last backfield to have two 1,000-yard rushers. He and Kevin Mack did it for the 1985 Cleveland Browns, just the third such tandem in league history.
Plenty of teams now have the possibility of matching it, though stars would have to align for it to happen. Maybe it's unlikely in Jacksonville because Jones-Drew gets a good share of his yardage as a receiver. Last year Taylor ran for 1,202 yards and Jones-Drew had 786. But it's not an inconceivable possibility for the Jaguars or Titans or for Miami, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Minnesota, Atlanta, Carolina or New Orleans.
White won over a lot of people in the Titans' building last year for proving tough and durable. He played through a torn meniscus in a knee, not missing a game. He's got better vision and feet than he gets credit for, but his weight and conditioning remain an issue.
At USC, where he was part of a split backfield with Reggie Bush, White enjoyed great success. So he didn't react badly when the Titans used the 24th pick in the draft on Johnson, from East Carolina. Rather, White embraced the rookie and tried to help him out. When Johnson sprinted for a 66-yard touchdown in the preseason opener against the Rams, White was among the first Titans to greet him at the sideline, thrilled to see the splashy showing.
"They drafted him in the first round for a reason," White said. "I can't say it's because of me doing this wrong or me doing that right or whatever. What he brings to the game is exceptional. With them having him on the team, it doesn't do anything but help us get better. It makes us a lot better. He gives us a home run threat at a lot of positions on the football field, even beyond running back. So I can see why they drafted him.
"I was with Reggie, I played there finally. We set a lot of national records, a lot of team and Pac-10 records playing with each other. I don't see why we can do things like that here. As long as we're winning, there's nothing wrong with that."
