A quick and dirty scan of all the opponents facing the weakest rush defenses yields which RBs should be starting - DeAngelo Williams, LaDanian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Thomas Jones, Kevin Smith, Adrian Peterson and whoever starts for Baltimore. That will be either Willis McGahee or Ray Rice. Regardless, either back will be productive with a slight edge towards Rice and his participation in the passing game.
A slight caveat to that list of RBs is the QB situation in Detroit. The Lions are starting Daunte Culpepper just days after signing him. Depending on how quickly Culpepper can be effective in the passing game, Kevin Smith may find himself running into a defensive front that Jacksonville has failed to show with any consistency this season.
Ten Worst Rush Defenses:
| Rank | Team | RYA | Vs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Oakland | 228.7 | CAR |
| 31 | Kansas City | 182.7 | @SD |
| 30 | Cleveland | 166.3 | DEN |
| 29 | Denver | 162.3 | @CLE |
| 28 | Detroit | 146.3 | JAX |
| 27 | Dallas | 143 | BYE |
| 26 | St. Louis | 133 | @NYJ |
| 25 | Jacksonville | 127 | @DET |
| 24 | Green Bay | 121.3 | @MIN |
| 23 | Houston | 119.7 | BAL |