With 2,000+ Rushing Yards, is Derrick Henry a Genuine Shout for MVP?

Heading into Week 16, Tennessee Titans running back, Derrick Henry had a tall task ahead of him to reach 2,000 rushing yards in the regular season. With the RB requiring 321 yards in his last 2 games, the road was tough but not impossible. 

The final stretch to 2,000

With the Tennessee Titans’ last 2 games of the season coming against the Green Bay Packers and the Houston Texans, Derrick Henry had his target set in front of him. With both games on the road, it was not going to be an easy task.

At Lambeau Field, Henry faced a Packers defense on the rise. And to make matters more difficult, Lambeau Field had turned into a snow globe. 

And in the Frozen Tundra, Henry faltered. With no touchdowns and less than a 100 yards, Henry needed 223 rushing yards in his final game against the Texans to become the 8th player in NFL history to finish a regular season with over 2,000+ rushing yards. 

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Before the Texans game, Henry’s personal best for the season was a 215-yard performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thus, to join the 2,000 club, Henry needed to have a near-flawless night.

And with the record on the line, the Titans running back torched the Houston Texans. Rushing for 2 touchdowns and 250 yards, King Henry joined the elites and etched his name in the NFL history books, ending the regular season with 2,027 rushing yards.

Derrick Henry, a one-man army

Henry’s statistic of 2,000+ yards is an impressive feat. But what makes his record even more impressive is that he actually ended the season with more rushing yards than 23 other franchises. 23!

The teams that Derrick Henry ended up outrunning were the LA Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Henry also set a new franchise record by breaking the one set by Chris Johnson in 2009 with 2,006 rushing yards.

What’s even more impressive is that with everything that Derrick Henry has done with the ball, he only fumbled the ball thrice. 

Henry has been at his ethereal best this season. His nearest rushing competitor, Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook, ended the season nearly 500 yards off-mark.

And it can be argued that no other player in any other position has outperformed their competition as King Henry has.  

While the MVP award has been dominated by quarterbacks over the past few years, with the sort of season that Derrick Henry has had, it’s difficult to keep him off the mix for the NFL’s highest individual honor for this season. 

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