Labar: Barkley and Henry, Facing Off on Sunday, are Thriving with New Teams

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

Grab your popcorn and prepare for the trash talk in your fantasy leagues between the teams that have Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry on their rosters. To kick off the first day of December, at 4:25pm in Baltimore two of the best running backs in the game go head-to-head (basically). To add a little fuel to the fire, both Henry and Barkley are playing into this much anticipated matchup. After Barkley put together arguably his best game of the season this past Sunday, Derrick Henry gave him a shoutout on X.

Henry spoke to it again later in his weekly press conference. When asked about the post, he made a joke saying Barkley “needs to slow his a** down.” But the rest of the questions were about Henry’s own solid performance in LA: 24 carries for 140 rushing yards. 

So couple this banter off the field with the serious momentum they each have individually on the field, and should we mention the playoff implications and division titles on the line? Week 13 means the competition is higher than ever, so I expect these two backs will be playing at the highest level on Sunday. To put into perspective just how impressive the two have been this season, I had our friends over at Pro Football Focus send me a breakdown on some key statistics headed into Week 13. 

PFF Ranks this season (among all players):

Rush yards after contact

• Derrick Henry - 784 (1st)

• Saquon Barkley - 776 (2nd)

Rushes gaining a first down

• Derrick Henry - 60 (1st)

• Saquon Barkley - 53 (3rd)

Rushes gaining 10+ yards

• Saquon Barkley - 29 (1st)

• Derrick Henry - 27 (2nd)

Rush TDs of 10+ yards

• Saquon Barkley - 7 (1st)

• Derrick Henry - 2 (T-10th)

Rushes gaining 20+ yards

• Derrick Henry - 14 (1st)

• Saquon Barkley - 12 (2nd)

Rush TDs of 20+ yards

• Saquon Barkley - 5 (1st)

• Derrick Henry - 2 (T-5th)

Rush yards in the 2nd half of games (3Q, 4Q, OT)

• Saquon Barkley - 920 (1st)

• Derrick Henry - 819 (2nd)

One of them is either first, second or third in every category. These are not only challenging statistics to lead across the board, they’re crucial to winning games.

The two frontrunners for Offensive Player of the Year will remember their respective seasons for more than one reason. They’re both wearing a different team logo for the first time in their careers. It’s a cliche as old as time: “Sometimes you just need a change of scenery.” Sure, you could argue this for both of them.

For Saquon Barkley, it was only a matter of time until his full potential was unleashed. Playing for a much more talented and productive team than what the New York Giants surrounded him with over the last several seasons just seemed like too obvious of an answer to what might have been holding him back. The numbers are truly remarkable. 

Through 11 games, he’s exceeded his season high in rushing yards (he’s closing in on 1,500) and is one touchdown shy of his season high in TDs. In his previous six seasons, he didn’t finish the year in triple digit yards per game, but he’s currently averaging a whopping 126.5 per game headed into Week 13. At 27 years old, sure being surrounded by a winning team can do wonders, but the way other players talk about his skillset – the kind of things that you can’t measure with numbers – we’re witnessing a once-in-a-generation running back flourish in front of our eyes.

As for Derrick Henry, the 30 year old has sustained a consistently productive career of steady growth. The Ravens, just like the Eagles for Barkley, have a much more talented roster for Henry. Specifically, the offensive line simply has better blockers and is creating more holes to give Henry more yards before contact. Without that excessive contact, Henry can avoid getting worn down. He also doesn’t have to carry a bulk of the load like he did in Tennessee. 

Because of his consistent and solid career, Henry’s numbers this year don’t necessarily do him justice compared to his time with the Titans. But similar to Barkley, Henry is in the conversation for several awards and has been a force to be reckoned with this season.

So remind me again, who said in this modern era of the NFL that the running back position isn’t worth the value it used to have? These two absolute game changers are proving everyone wrong. Now that they’re sharing the load with offensively balanced teams, their chances for longevity seem much more promising now. Cherish this matchup on Sunday, football fans.

Oh! And Happy Thanksgiving!