Complaining about NFL running backs and their lack of production needs to be examined further.

Around the league, quarterbacks aren’t even giving their running backs a chance to succeed. The booming rate of quarterbacks chucking the football over 25 times a game is becoming the norm.

There are plenty of factors for this. Some teams can’t run the football, others just abandon the run, and lots of secondaries can be exposed by a rampant passing attack. Will this subside, or are running backs going to shoot down fantasy charts every week?

Out of the games on Sunday, 50 percent of the 26 teams had quarterbacks that threw over 30 times. On top of that list was Marc Bulger, who set a record with 62 pass attempts.

A quarterback can only do so much. It’s understandable that teams are opening up the offense more, but doing that leaves more room for error.

Defenses are gearing up to blitz all the time because they aren’t afraid of the run. The mind frame is just too get pressure on the quarterback and force a turnover.

You’re going to have obvious big plays in the passing game when a team is heavy on the pass. Those plays look great, but don’t overshadow the costly throws.

Out of the quarterbacks that do throw the ball a lot, you’ll also see the same amount or more interceptions being thrown. Those interceptions more often than not lead to the opposing teams points.

Having momentum usually always starts from a big defensive turnover. Kansas City can blame themselves or Trent Green for what happened against Philadelphia. The team was in sync until they went away from the run after a Larry Johnson fumble. When they went to the pass more, Green was picked off by Sheldon Brown, which ignited the Eagles whole team.

In St. Louis, head coach Mike Martz is looking to be the first coach fired. His philosophy on play calling is at a level of risk that shouldn’t be applied to the NFL. He has two great running backs, but will never utilize their strengths.

Bulger’s career is in danger with every pass he throws over the 40 mark each game. Settling down the air attack in St. Louis has to happen. Regardless if they’re trying to mount a huge comeback, there are other ways to play the game. Mix in some runs, but don’t just throw the football every down from the third quarter on. If worse comes to worse like Sunday, let Bulger exit the game and give the backup some play.

St. Louis is going to need it because Bulger will not survive the year like this. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him hurt on a play that he doesn’t get hit, because of the extra force he has had to put on his arm and body. Commanding a game isn’t all physical. Bulger has too be exhausted both physically and mentally for the double amount of thinking and passes he has been told to do.

Scoring is up in the NFL, as the barrage of big plays through the air has skyrocketed, while running backs have been disappointed with their carries reduced. It’s only four games deep into the season.

Configuring a turnaround on the way games pan out should change, right? Overall the trend of passers will come down a bit, but not at the rate people would expect. The mode teams have put themselves into already is at a pace that’ll be hard to get out of. Trying to adjust something that is working can throw off a team.

If there was any year to unload a running back with high status for a quarterback, this is the year. No longer are the teams with the best combo backfields winning in fantasy football. It has now shifted to the quarterback department, where consistency week to week has peaked. Teams with the Bulger, Donovan McNabbs, Eli Mannings, Peyton Mannings and Carson Palmers have got themselves off to a great start.

Article courtesy of Not Just a Game (www.notjustagame.com)