The Ravens’ running back is obliterating defenses, and his career best pace.
Entering Week 7, Derrick Henry was on a scorching pace with 704 rushing yards in six games. For the second time in his career, he was beating his 2020 pace — the season he became the eighth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000+ yards.
Stunningly, that wasn’t his best-ever pace. In 2021, Henry was a torrential force. Averaging 27 carries per game, he was the Tennessee Titans’ offense and was hammering defenses to the tune of 783 rushing yards in the first six contests.
Comparing Derrick Henry’s 2020, 2021 and current season.
Henry’s ahead of his 2020 pace where he eclipsed 2,000 yards.
His 2021 season was ahead of both. pic.twitter.com/BgQPl4r5m5— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) October 18, 2024
But after galloping for 169 yards on Monday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Henry eclipsed his seemingly unsustainable 2021 season by four yards and put a near 100-yard gap between 2024 and his record-setting 2020 season.
UPDATE: After rushing for 169 yards in Week 7, Derrick Henry is on the highest rushing yards pace of his NFL career.
He is 98 yards ahead of his 2,000-yard season in 2020.
He’s 4 yards ahead of his 2021 start.He’s had 57 fewer carries than in 2021.
27 fewer carries than 2020. pic.twitter.com/U8Qs6nt2S9— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) October 22, 2024
The pace Henry is on rivals some of the greatest rushing seasons in NFL history. Among the eight players with over 2,000 rushing yards, Henry is on the third best pace. Only O.J. Simpson (1973), Terrell Davis (1998) and Jamal Lewis (2003) had more rushing yards in the first seven games.
And that orange line at the bottom? That’s the pace of Eric Dickerson in 1984 when he set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season (2,105).
What may be more stunning is the quality, not quantity, that is the driving force. Henry isn’t being given the ball an exorbitant number of times and having the team pray he makes something happen. He’s been given the ball fewer than the three above him, along with fewer carries than Dickerson.
Henry’s on a historic pace. Teams will attempt to adjust and stop him. But when Lamar Jackson can throw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, loading the box to stop Henry results in being eviscerated through the air.
Henry’s officially on NFL record watch.