Derrick Henry Doubles Up on Rushing Titles
NASHVILLE – Derrick Henry added another rushing title Sunday.
The Tennessee Titans running back became the fifth player since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to lead the league in playoff rushing yards after having done the during the regular season.
The last to complete the double was Seattle’s Shaun Alexander in 2005. The other three who accomplished the feat are all Pro Football Hall of Famers, Emmitt Smith (three times), Terrell Davis and Earl Campbell. Davis and Henry are the only ones to top 1,500 yards during the regular season and 400 during the postseason.
A rundown of the players who led the NFL in rushing yards during the regular season and subsequent playoffs (1970-present):
| Season | Player, team | Regular season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Derrick Henry, Tennessee | 1,540 | 446 |
2005 | Shaun Alexander, Seattle | 1,880 | 236 |
1998 | Terrell Davis, Denver | 2,008 | 468 |
1995 | Emmitt Smith, Dallas | 1,773 | 298 |
1993 | Emmitt Smith, Dallas | 1,486 | 280 |
1992 | Emmitt Smith, Dallas | 1,713 | 336 |
1978 | Earl Campbell, Houston | 1,450 | 264 |
Henry’s 446 rushing yards in the Titans’ three postseason contests were the most by any player since Eddie George ran for 449 yards in four games capped by Tennessee’s appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV. It’s also the sixth highest total in NFL playoff history.
The Pro Bowler’s 83 postseason carries also led the league, by a wide margin.
Raheem Mostert was second in both categories with 336 yards on 53 carries for San Francisco, which lost Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs. No other player had as many as 50 carries or 200 rushing yards during the postseason.
His 66-yard run in the divisional round against Baltimore was the longest of the postseason, and he had two of the three highest single-game totals of the playoff year. He ran for 182 yards in the wild card round against New England and 195 in the divisional round against Baltimore. Only Mostert, with 220 yards in the 49ers’ NFC Championship victory over Green Bay had a better performance.
In five career playoff games, Henry has 630 rushing yards, which is third among all active players and 27 all-time. Among those who played in 2019, only Marshawn Lynch (970 yards) and Frank Gore (668) have more.
In the regular season, Henry’s 1,540 yards gave him the title by 46 yards over Cleveland’s Nick Chubb. His 303 carries also were an NFL high, two more than Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott and five more than Chubb. He was the only running back in the league who averaged better than 100 yards per game (he missed one contest due to a hamstring injury).
