While working with the defensive files recently, I noticed that rushing touchdowns were up in 2020. Way up.
NFL teams allowed an average of 16 rushing scores a year ago. That's 2 TDs more per team than in any other year over the past decade; 4-5 more than in most years. In general, we expect teams to allow about 12 rushing scores per season. Big difference. Collectively, NFL teams allowed 85 more rushing touchdowns last year than in any of the previous 9 seasons.
The league hasn't suddenly produced a bunch more Derrick Henry's, so this can likely be attributed to running quarterbacks. More rushing production, both yards and touchdowns, from the position. Cam Newton doesn't currently have a team, and maybe that number will inch back downward. Regardless, lots of crazy rushing touchdowns numbers in 2020.
Most notably, eight different NFL teams allowed at least 20 rushing scores last year. That's more than twice as many teams to allow 20 TDs in any of the previous nine years. No more than 3 teams allowed 20-plus TDs in any of those seasons.
In the table, seasons allowing 20-plus rushing touchdowns are in bold.
| RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED, 2011-2020 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Detroit | 10 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 27 |
| Las Vegas | 15 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 24 |
| Houston | 8 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 24 |
| Jacksonville | 14 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 23 |
| Denver | 11 | 5 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 22 |
| Buffalo | 19 | 23 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 21 |
| Philadelphia | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 20 |
| Dallas | 10 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 20 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
| Seattle | 10 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 22 | 18 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 |
| LA Chargers | 8 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 17 |
| Miami | 8 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 17 |
| New England | 13 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Carolina | 18 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 31 | 17 |
| Indianapolis | 19 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 16 |
| NY Jets | 17 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 16 |
| Cleveland | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 16 |
| Green Bay | 10 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Atlanta | 10 | 16 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 15 |
| NY Giants | 15 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 14 |
| Washington | 15 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| Kansas City | 14 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 14 |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 9 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 13 |
| Arizona | 15 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 25 | 9 | 13 |
| Cincinnati | 14 | 13 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 13 |
| LA Rams | 17 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
| San Francisco | 3 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
| Baltimore | 10 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| New Orleans | 11 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Chicago | 10 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 11 |
| Tampa Bay | 26 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 11 | 10 |
| Sum | 400 | 401 | 398 | 380 | 365 | 443 | 380 | 439 | 447 | 532 |
| Average | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
Among the fantasy implications, make sense to put running backs (or running quarterbacks) up against the Lions, Raiders, Texans and Jaguars of the world. Aaron Jones (pictured) faces the Lions this week. It won't work out every week, but those teams will probably continue to give up more than their share of rushing scores in 2021.
--Andy Richardson