The role and value of the running back in the NFL has evolve

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d as much as any position over the past decade , with a league-wide trend favoring versatile players who can contribute equally to the passing attack as to the ground game.Todd Gurley embodies the postmodern ball carrier as well as anyone.After racking up 2,093 yards and 19 touchdowns from scrimmage last year for the Los Angeles Rams to bounce back from a rough 2016 season, Gurley is again off to a running start with 220 total yards and four touchdowns in his first two games. Arizona's perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson aptly summed up the strategy for containing Gurley prior to the Rams-Cardinals game last week."Just be like flying missiles," Peterson said, "always hitting him and getting 11 hats on the ball."With Le'Veon Bell still waiting to sign his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers and resume his equally electric career, Gurley was ranked as the NFL's top running back by a panel of 10 football writers from The Associated Press. He received nine first-place votes."With offensive guru Sean McVay using him in all the right ways, Gurley has established himself as not only the NFL's No. 1 running back but one of the league's finest offensive pieces at any position," wrote the Washington-based Howard Fendrich. "He shows how a running back can still matter in today's game."The Rams gave Gurley 343 touches last season, his third in the league, but 64 of those were catches for a whopping 788 yards. Not only does this increased emphasis on throwing to running backs keep defenses off-balance, it can reduce wear and tear by cutting down on time running between the tackles. So the Rams had no qualms about giving Gurley a contract extension this summer worth $60 million, two years before he was eligible for free agency."Gurley is proof No. 1 that drafting running backs high can be a very good idea," said Barry Wilner, the AP's national football writer in New York.Bell, who took first billing in the rankings last season , finished second despite spending the first two weeks of the season at home 鈥?and counting. The lowest he placed on any ballot was fourth."Worth every penny he's holding out to get," wrote the Philadelphia-based Rob Maaddi.Ezekiel Elliott, who led the league in rushing yards per game in each of his first two years with the Dallas Cowboys , was close behind Bell for third place."Just look at how much Dallas struggled during Elliott's suspension last year," said Josh Dubow, who's based in the Bay Area.Rounding out the top 10: Alvin Kamara (fourth, New Orleans Saints), David Johnson (fifth, Arizona Cardinals), Kareem Hunt (sixth, Kansas City Chiefs), Saquon Barkley (seventh, New York Giants), Leonard Fournette (eighth, Jacksonville Jaguars), Melvin Gordon (ninth, Los Angeles Chargers) and LeSean McCoy (10th, Buffalo Bills).Hunt, who had to share the rookie spotlight last season with Fournette and Kamara, was the only one outside the top three who appeared on all 10 ballots. McCoy, who turned 30 this summer , was the only one older than 26 on the list. He was fourth in the NFL last year in yards from scrimmage, behind Gurley, Bell and Hunt.Barkley was the lone rookie on the list, a testament to his potential despite playing in only two professional games. The Denver-based Arnie Stapleton ranked him second, the same spot where Barkley was taken in the draft this spring ahead of quarterback Sam Darnold of the New York Jets."The average lifespan of an NFL running back is much shorter," Stapleton said, "but what a life it could be for the Giants with Barkley leading the way."The rankings:1. Todd Gurley, Rams2. Le'Veon Bell, Steelers3. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys4. Alvin Kamara, Saints5. David Johnson, Cardinals6. Kareem Hunt, Chiefs7. Saquon Barkley, Giants8. Leonard Fournette, Jaguars9. Melvin Gordon, Chargers10. LeSean McCoy, Bills Everyone agrees that Deshaun Watson took far too many hits last week against the Dallas Cowboys.That doesn't mean Houston's quarterback is going to change the way he plays on Sunday when the Texans (2-3) host the Buffalo Bills (2-3).Many of those hits against Dallas came on runs when he simply refused to slide, something that he won't apologize for."If you put (me in) that same situation in overtime and it's fourth-and-1 and we need a touchdown and the ball is in my hands , you're going to want me to get in that end zone," Watson said. "It's a fine line. You've got to pick your spots and pick your situations."Coach Bill O'Brien doesn't blame his young quarterback for trying to make plays, but is looking for ways to limit how many blows he takes. Many running quarterbacks have had their production — and careers — curtailed by getting hit too hard too often."Two of the plays where he took a hit where he was trying to score touchdowns," O'Brien said. "So, very competitive guy and does a great job of moving. Sometimes the ball can come out a little bit quicker, sometimes the play can be better, but we're all working hard to improve every area of the offense."The repeated hits from the Cowboys left Watson a bit banged-up this week, but he insisted that he's fine and won't be limited against Buffalo. He was asked if this was the sorest he's ever been after a game."I've been sore plenty of times," he said. "It's part of the game, able to take some shots and just regroup and keep moving forward."Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said he spent some time with Watson before he was drafted last year and raved about him as a person and a player. He knows a key for his team Sunday will be finding a way to limit his dynamic plays."He's a headache ... the way he plays, he makes plays with his arm, he makes plays with his feet," McDermott said. "I've got a lot of respect for him."Some things to know about Buffalo's trip to Houston on Sunday:RUNNING GAME FOCUSAs the Bills try to bring rookie quarterback Josh Allen along, McDermott knows that improving his team's running game will help the process."To me, they go hand in hand when you're trying to be responsible with a young player, a young quarterback in particular, that some form of balance is important," he said.The Bills have struggled on offense so far and their 221.2 yards a game rank 31st. They're averaging 121.8 yards passing a game , the lowest output in the league. Despite those numbers, McDermott is careful not to put too much pressure on Allen to turn things around by himself."I've been around young quarterbacks before, and to put too much on young quarterbacks' shoulders... (and say): 'Hey go out there and win the game.' That's a little bit unrealistic," McDermott said. "So, we've got to make sure we put a good plan in place every week that gives us a chance to win and the quarterback a chance to develop, and also keep the quarterback upright as well."SACK RACEHouston defensive end J.J. Watt looks to have put the last two injury-filled seasons behind him and is tied for first in the NFL with six sacks this year. Watt is tied with Cincinnati's Geno Atkins and his young brother, Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt."It's pretty wild when you go and you look at the sack sheet and you see our names next to each other," Watt said. "We used to beat up on each other in backyard and now we get to see our names at the top of the NFL sack charts. So, it's incredible and I'm lucky."COMING ALONGThe Texans have been impressed with the development of rookie WR Keke Coutee, who has played the last two games after sitting out the first three weeks with a hamstring injury. The fourth-round pick has 17 receptions for 160 yards and scored his first touchdown in Sunday's overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys."He has great instincts, great ability to make plays on the ball, strong hands and he's just a guy with a high football IQ," Watson said. "So, whenever I see him one on one or in the zone coverage, get the ball in his area just like Hop (DeAndre Hopkins) and all of the other receivers and he's going to make the play."AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.