Why Derrick Henry will rush for 2,000 yards and win Offensive Player of the Year
Derrick Henry is a running back unlike anyone we've seen in NFL history.
Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey and Nick Chubb have missed time this year due to injuries. All three running backs have a high workload on their respective teams. But no running back in the NFL comes close to the workload Derrick Henry gets.
Henry is on pace for a statistically brilliant season that's guaranteed to win him Offensive Player of the Year. Here's why Henry will rush for 2,000 yards and win Offensive Player of the Year.
Derrick Henry is on pace for 2,218 rushing yards through six games
Derrick Henry is on pace for 2,218 rushing yards and a jaw-dropping 28 touchdowns. Through six games, Henry has already totaled 783 rushing yards, 26 yards ahead of second place. He also has five more touchdowns than second place.
Derrick Henry is on pace for:
2,218 Rushing Yards (breaks record)
2,609 Scrimmage Yards (breaks record)
28 Touchdowns (breaks record)
MVP? 👑 https://t.co/2l6EpPHkYh
Derrick Henry is as fast as he's ever been, despite being 27 years old. There's not a single defender in the NFL who wants to attempt to tackle him. Henry has the strength of an army tank and can run as fast as 21 mph, as we learned in Week 6.
21 mph set a record for the fastest run in Henry's career. It was also the fastest run of any player in the NFL this season. People who are 6'4" and 247 pounds shouldn't be able to move the way Henry does.
Derrick Henry is the heart and soul of the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Tannehill, Julio Jones and AJ Browns are vital in giving them offense through the air, but Henry is the nucleus that holds everything together.
It will be heinous if Henry does rush for 2,000 yards but misses out on Offensive Player of the Year. Quarterbacks often win the prize, but if Henry keeps at this pace and fails to win it, quarterbacks might as well win it every year.
Derrick Henry is on pace to lead the NFL in Rush yds & Rush TD for the 3rd consecutive season.
Jim Brown is the last player to do that (1957-59).
Derrick Henry's workload is the only concern for why he won't reach these milestones
Unquestionably, Henry's biggest worry is a potential injury as a result of his workload. Henry has 162 rushing attempts in just six games, 51 more than second place. The Titans rely on Henry too much as their passing game has been below average in 2021.
This is both a blessing and a curse for Henry. More usage means more yards for the league's best running back. But this is the first season with an extra game of wear and tear. Henry already had 303 rushing attempts in 2019 and 378 rushing attempts last season.
That said, Derrick Henry has proved he's the only running back in the NFL capable of handling such great usage and it is possible that he wins the Offensive Player of the Year Award by rushing for over 2,000 yards for a second straight year.