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The Falcons have the best backfield in the NFL, per ESPN

Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are forces of nature.

San Francisco 49ers v Atlanta Falcons Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Atlanta Falcons clearly have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. Devonta Freeman is one of the league’s leading rushers every year, he’s a remarkable blocker, and he’s a perfectly capable receiver when called upon. Tevin Coleman has lethal speed and can break huge plays on the ground and through the air.

Given that, it’s little surprise that ESPN ranked the duo as the best backfield tandem in the entire league, for the reasons listed above and the stated reasons below.

While many backfields feature players who can adeptly handle more specific roles, Freeman and Coleman are a rare one-two punch that can each play in any offensive situation. They're excellent pass-catchers and solid runners between the tackles, and each is effective in the red area. Together they account for 42.8 percent of the offense's yards from scrimmage. Freeman, who has rushed for a league-leading five touchdowns this season, is among the game's best.

When you consider that both are still quite young and Coleman is still comparatively cheap, the Falcons are as well-positioned as anyone, at least through the end of 2018 when Coleman’s rookie contract runs out. These guys are both genuinely great, and with Steve Sarkisian in town, they could see even larger workloads in 2017.

The full piece is Insider, so unless you have that, you won’t be able to see all the best tandems. Suffice to say that Freeman and Coleman rule the roost, however, and I don’t think any other team is particularly close.