Nine weeks into the season, four running backs are separated by 55 yards. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson ran for 100 yards in Madrid on Sunday and leads the NFL with 880. Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III had 102 against the Jets and is 8 yards behind.

Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs is third with 847 and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving fourth with 825. Buffalo’s James Cook III, fifth at 707, plays Monday night at Minnesota and would need 174 yards to take the lead.

Rushing yards through Week 9

*Cook and Buffalo play Monday night.

Walker led the league after each of the first four weeks, opening with 173 yards against Denver and adding 177 at Las Vegas in Week 4. Kansas City’s Week 5 bye let Robinson pass him.

From there the lead changed hands twice more. After Week 7 Robinson led Walker by 3 yards, 704 to 701. After Week 8 the top three were 10 yards apart.

1. Weeks 1–4Walker leads, reaching 537 yards after Week 4. Robinson is 43 behind.
2. Week 5Kansas City’s bye. Robinson runs for 86 and takes over, 580 to 537.
3. Week 6Walker has 128 against the Chargers and leads again, 665 to 641.
4. Week 7Walker is held to 36 by Seattle. Robinson leads by 3, 704 to 701.
5. Week 8Gibbs runs for 153 against Minnesota and moves to second. Robinson 780, Gibbs 773, Walker 770.
6. Week 9Robinson 100, Walker 102, Gibbs 74, Irving 97. Robinson leads by 8.

After Week 3

After Week 5

After Week 7

Robinson’s biggest games came early: 194 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay in Week 3 and 145 with two more against New Orleans in Week 4. He has not had a game of 100 or more since, until Sunday, but he has also not missed a game. Atlanta has not had its bye yet.

Walker and Gibbs have each played eight games to Robinson’s and Irving’s nine. Per game, Walker averages 109.0 rushing yards and Gibbs 105.9, both ahead of Robinson’s 97.8.

Walker also has the best average per carry of the four at 5.5, and the most 100-yard games with five. Gibbs has the most carries, 177, and the most rushing touchdowns, nine. On Sunday he scored the only touchdown in Detroit’s 19-9 win at Miami on a fourth-down run.

Yards per carry

100-yard games

Irving had 241 yards after four weeks, 112 behind anyone else in this group. Since then he has 584 in five games, including 165 at Dallas in Week 5 and a career-high 170 against Atlanta in Week 8.

Over the last three weeks he has 373 yards, more than any of the other three. He ran for 97 and two touchdowns in Sunday night’s 27-24 loss in Chicago, his hometown.

Rushing yards, Weeks 7–9

Irving by week

The top two meet directly next Sunday. Kansas City (6-2) visits Atlanta (3-6) on Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. in Cairo.

Gibbs and the Lions play New England in Munich the same day at 9:30 a.m. ET (4:30 p.m. Cairo). Tampa Bay has its bye, so Irving will stay at 825 while the other three play.