The 2,000-Yard Clubs Newest Member: Derrick Henry
Former Alabama running back and Heisman winner Derrick Henry has put up numbers through the roof this season. In the final week of the season, the Titans running back was able to propel his team to a 1-38 road victory against the Houston Texans. In that game, we saw Henry rush for 250 yards along with 2 touchdowns, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week Honors.
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In his final four games, he racked up a total of 710 yards on the ground where he averaged 6.6 yards per carry with 5 rushing touchdowns. Derrick Henry’s dominant performance this season has helped him secure his spot in the 2,000 rushing yard club with other former great NFL running backs such as O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Chris Johnson, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis and Adrian Peterson. Also, Henry's 250-yard performance surpassed his own franchise-record of 238 that he set against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. Henry had more than 200 rushing yards for the third consecutive game against a single team, the Houston Texans, making him the only player in NFL history to do so.
Derrick Henry goes does as the eighth player to rushing for 2,000 yards in a single season, joining former Tennessee Titan Chris Johnson, making the Titans the only team in NFL franchise history with two players to do so.
Henry led all running backs in rushing yards over this season where he was able to achieve career-highs in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and receptions. Just last season Derrick Henry led all running backs in “yards over expected” with a + 412. Along with achieving the yards over expected and joining the 2,000 yards club, he also becomes just the sixth player since 1948 to rush for 1,000 yards on the road in a single season, joining other all-time great running backs such as Jim Brown (1963), O.J. Simpson (1975), Gerald Riggs (1985), Eric Dickerson (1984) and Adrian Peterson (2012).
The 6-foot-3, 247-pound back has proved that he is one of the league’s elite running back so far in his career. The 2020 season has been one of the best seasons for Henry since entering the NFL in 2016. He has proven that he is one of the best in the nation, and is working his way towards being one of the best to ever do it. Derrick Henry is the franchise running back for the Tennessee Titians and is locked into the team for the next several years and is the biggest reason why this team has enjoyed its most recent success.
Crowning his second straight rushing title, Henry is the first player to accomplish that feat back-to-back seasons since LaDainian Tomlinson did it in 20006 and 2007. After the road win over the Houston Texans, in the post-game interview, Henry stated, “I am glad we were able to finish with a W at the end, we won as a team and we all do it together. I'm just glad that we were able to accomplish this and win the division and get to the playoffs."
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After propelling his team to an 11-5 record during the regular season the Titians were able to clinch the AFC South and the 4th Seed in the AFC playoffs and headed into Super Wild Card weekend to face the 5th Seeded Baltimore Ravens. Heading into the game, everyone knew that the Titians game plan would be the same as it has been the past two seasons: lean heavily on Derrick Henry’s running performance to get the victory.
Unfortunately for Henry and the Titans, that formula did not work in the playoffs as the Titans were one and done, losing 20-13 to the Ravens. The Ravens knew that in order to beat the Titans, they were going to have to do something very few teams have been able to do and that was to stop Derrick Henry. The Ravens were successful in doing so, as Henry had one of his worst performances all season, carrying the ball 18 times for just 40 rushing yards. Henry was unable to find a groove on the ground all game long and couldn’t contribute in the passing game either.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, it is hard to take away anything from Derrick Henry. He has arguably one of the best seasons that any running back has ever had. He did so on the back of another phenomenal season in 2019. With the way things are trending, Henry is only getting better the more time that he spends in the NFL and will look to somehow improve on his 2,000-yard season and every team in the NFL should be terrified.
