The Running Back.

On offense, a running backs (RB) main job is to run the ball and get as many yards as possible. Running backs are also called halfbacks (HB) and tailbacks (TB).They can run routes to catch passes and they can even block for the quarterback. You may here that football today is all about passing but any good passing team needs a good running game. When a team has a good run game, they have an advantage on the defends because they can control the game by keeping the ball longer. Also, a good run game opens up other play options like passes or trick plays. When running the ball, the main goal of course is to get a lot of yards while wearing down the defense. There are many holes or gaps to run the ball in depending on what the play is. You probably have heard or will hear that a good running team runs the ball down hill and through the tackles. That simply means that they go straight towards the end-zone between the offensive linemen.

Just for perspective, this is the view most RB's have before the ball is snapped. Yes the image is from a video game!

https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL