NFL Week 6: Top 3 running backs of the 2021 NFL season so far
Three NFL running backs have established themselves as the best rushers in the league through the first five weeks of the 2021 season.
The next tier of running backs has topped 350 total rushing yards – including Jacksonville Jaguars' James Robinson, the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon, and New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara.
But three elite rushers have recorded more than 400 yards, and are leading the way in the race for the rushing crown.
Which 3 running backs are leading the NFL's rushing chart?
#3 – Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: 452 yards
Ezekiel Elliott's season keeps getting better each week. Over the past four weeks, Elliot has improved his performance in every game. In the Dallas Cowboys' Week 5 win against the New York Giants, Elliott recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game. In Dak Prescott's high-power offense, Elliott is thriving.
Maybe I'm the only who finds this interesting, but came across this list— most rushing yards since 2016 ...
1) Ezekiel Elliott, 6,836
2) Derrick Henry, 6,500
3) Todd Gurley, 4,976
4) Melvin Gordon, 4,867
5) Mark Ingram, 4,341
6) Nick Chubb, 4,080
Elliott has recorded 5.3 yards per attempt on 85 carries through five weeks, which would be a career-high if he maintained the same average throughout the entire season. Elliott had 5.1 yards per carry in his rookie year.
#2 – Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: 523 yards
Nick Chubb is likely to surrender second place in the rushing charts after being ruled out of the Cleveland Browns game against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals with a calf injury.
Weeks 5-8 with Nick Chubb out last season:
Hunt: 65-254-0 rush, 10-71-2 rec
D. Johnson: 15-42-0, 2-9-0
Hilliard: 4-29-0, 0-0-0
Chubb's partner-in-crime Kareem Hunt will shoulder the burden of the Browns' running attack against the 5-0 NFC leaders. Head coach Kevin Stefanski was not ready to say whether Chubb will go on injured reserve after missing the whole week of training.
#1 – Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans: 640 yards
Derrick Henry is on a one-man crusade to become the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in back-to-back NFL seasons.
Henry has been the league's top running back for the past two seasons and he leads the rushing yards leaders chart by 117. With Chubb out, Henry could open up a 200-yard lead at the top as he looks to claim a third straight crown.
Derrick Henry has more rushing yards than 25 NFL teams 🤯 https://t.co/c7rj5RdiG8
The Tennessee Titans are putting their offense on Henry's back in 2021. The powerful running back has 142 carries in five games, an average of 28.4 per game. That's 48 more than the player with the second-highest workload (Alvin Kamara of the Saints).