Derrick Henry is having a big postseason, with 182 yards at Foxborough, and 195 yards on Saturday against the Ravens. Coming into the league in 2016, however, Henry wasn’t a first-round draft pick. And that’s been true of most of the big-time running backs in the playoffs in the last 20 years.
Since 2000, a running back has run for 140-plus yards 28 times in playoff games. Only two of those running backs were guys that those teams selected in the first round. Felix Jones for the Cowboys in the 2009 season, and Deuce McAllister for New Orleans in 2006.
Five other such games were authored by backs selected by running backs chosen in the first round, but those games came after those running backs switched to different teams – Marshall Faulk, Marshawn Lynch (twice), Cedric Benson and Warrick Dunn.
Using a first-round pick on a running back hasn’t been a great formula for NFL teams.
RUNNING BACKS WITH 140 YARDS IN PLAYOFF GAMES | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Opp | Score | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
2000 | Lamar Smith, Mia. | Ind. | W 23-17 | 40 | 209 | 5.2 | 2 |
2007 | Ryan Grant, G.B. | Sea. | W 42-20 | 27 | 201 | 7.4 | 3 |
2019 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | at Balt. | W 28-12 | 30 | 195 | 6.5 | 0 |
2019 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | at N.E. | W 20-13 | 34 | 182 | 5.4 | 1 |
2003 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | Ind. | L 31-38 | 24 | 176 | 7.3 | 2 |
2016 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | at K.C. | W 18-16 | 30 | 170 | 5.7 | 0 |
2009 | •Cedric Benson, Cin. | NYJ | L 14-24 | 21 | 169 | 8.1 | 1 |
2016 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | Mia. | W 30-12 | 29 | 167 | 5.8 | 2 |
2013 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | Ind. | W 43-22 | 24 | 166 | 6.9 | 4 |
2016 | Thomas Rawls, Sea. | Det. | W 26-6 | 27 | 161 | 6.0 | 1 |
2009 | Ray Rice, Balt. | at N.E. | W 33-14 | 22 | 159 | 7.2 | 2 |
2001 | •Marshall Faulk, St.L. | Phil. | W 29-24 | 31 | 159 | 5.1 | 2 |
2001 | Charlie Garner, Oak. | NYJ | W 38-24 | 15 | 158 | 10.5 | 1 |
2014 | •Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | G.B. | W 28-22 | 25 | 157 | 6.3 | 1 |
2017 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | at K.C. | W 22-21 | 23 | 156 | 6.8 | 1 |
2003 | Ahman Green, G.B. | at Phil. | L 17-20 | 25 | 156 | 6.2 | 0 |
2011 | Arian Foster, Hou. | Cin. | W 31-10 | 24 | 153 | 6.4 | 2 |
2005 | DeShaun Foster, Car. | at NYG | W 23-0 | 27 | 151 | 5.6 | 0 |
2018 | Marlon Mack, Ind. | at Hou. | W 21-7 | 24 | 148 | 6.2 | 1 |
2014 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | Ind. | W 45-7 | 30 | 148 | 4.9 | 3 |
2009 | Felix Jones, Dall. | Phil. | W 34-14 | 16 | 148 | 9.3 | 1 |
2008 | Willie Parker, Pitt. | S.D. | W 35-24 | 27 | 146 | 5.4 | 2 |
2004 | Corey Dillon, N.E. | Ind. | W 20-3 | 23 | 144 | 6.3 | 0 |
2006 | Deuce McAllister, N.O. | Phil. | W 27-24 | 21 | 143 | 6.8 | 1 |
2004 | •Warrick Dunn, Atl. | St.L. | W 47-17 | 17 | 142 | 8.4 | 2 |
2006 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | NYG | W 23-20 | 20 | 141 | 7.1 | 1 |
2012 | Arian Foster, Hou. | Cin. | W 19-13 | 32 | 140 | 4.4 | 1 |
2013 | •Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | N.O. | W 23-15 | 28 | 140 | 5.0 | 2 |
—Ian Allan