Inside the Numbers examines the latest trends, statistics, and streaks from the NFL each week.
Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry showcased their exceptional talent at SoFi Stadium, amassing a total of 395 rushing yards over two consecutive nights. Their performances underline the potential benefits of investing in elite running backs when the situation is right.
Upcoming, Barkley’s Philadelphia Eagles will face Henry’s Baltimore Ravens on the same field, marking the groundbreaking occurrence of two running backs, each with over 1,300 rushing yards, going head-to-head before Week 13.
Prior to this season, only a dozen players in NFL history had rushed for at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns within the first 12 weeks. Notably, someone achieving this feat hadn’t happened since Shaun Alexander in 2005, a testament to the league’s shift away from relying heavily on bell-cow running backs.
However, that trend may be shifting as Barkley has revitalized the Eagles’ offense, achieving 1,392 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns so far this year. Meanwhile, Henry has been instrumental for the Ravens with 1,325 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Despite these stellar performances, both players were overshadowed during the free agency period in March, as 19 players secured contracts that surpassed the $37.75 million, three-year deal Barkley received from the Eagles and 58 players bagged larger contracts than the $16 million, two-year agreement Henry signed with the Ravens.
Few players can claim to have made as profound an impact as Barkley and Henry, a fact supported by their remarkable performances at SoFi Stadium this past weekend.
In a standout achievement, Barkley recorded a franchise-high 255 rushing yards and became the sixth player ever to accomplish two touchdown runs of over 70 yards in a single game, aligning himself with four other running backs in the Super Bowl era who have surpassed 300 scrimmage yards in a game, propelling the Eagles to victory over the Rams on Sunday night.
Barkley’s 1,649 scrimmage yards rank second for any player in their first 11 games with a team, trailing only Eric Dickerson’s 1,726 yards accumulated in 1983 with the Rams.
In contrast, Henry rushed for 140 yards in the Ravens’ win against the Chargers the following night, marking his 20th game with 140 or more rushing yards in his career.
Turning our attention to Thanksgiving, traditionally the Dallas Cowboys have been a strong presence in the holiday football lineup, while the Detroit Lions have often been an afterthought.
However, this year sees a role reversal, with the Lions entering their Thanksgiving matchup boasting an impressive 10-1 record, while the Cowboys are struggling at 4-7. This season marks the 57th occasion both teams have played on Thanksgiving, and the six-win advantage for the Lions is twice the largest lead they’ve ever held over Dallas before the holiday game.
The last time the Cowboys held a substantial advantage was in 2000 when they were 4-7 and the Lions stood at 7-4. Historically, the Cowboys have gone into Thanksgiving at least six wins ahead of the Lions five times, the last instance being in 2021 when Dallas was 7-3 and Detroit sat at 0-9-1.
The Lions have set impressive records this season, marking their best start since 1934 and achieving double-digit wins for the second consecutive season, a franchise first.
The team has leaned heavily on the running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, both of whom have recorded at least 10 touchdown runs for the second year in a row. This accomplishment puts them in exclusive company, as only five other duos have achieved this feat in a single season in the Super Bowl era, with Gibbs and Montgomery being the first teammates to do it two years in a row.
Currently, the Lions stand as one of five NFL teams with nine or more wins, alongside Kansas City (10-1) and three clubs sitting at 9-2: Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Minnesota.
This ties the record for the number of teams starting a season at 9-2 or better, an occurrence that has previously happened on eight occasions. Notably, the last two instances occurred in 2019 and 2015.
Detroit and Minnesota are part of the competitive NFC North, which also includes the 8-3 Green Bay Packers. This marks the first time since the league’s realignment in 2002 that a single division features three teams with at least eight wins within the first 12 weeks of the season.
Lastly, Tennessee’s Will Levis had a challenging game marked by numerous negative plays; he endured eight sacks, tossed a pick-6, and lost a fumble while competing against Houston.
Surprisingly, Levis is only the third quarterback since the Super Bowl era to emerge victorious despite being sacked twice and throwing a pick-6, joining Mark Brunell of Jacksonville and Damon Huard of Miami in this unusual category.
Historically, teams have struggled significantly, holding a 2-51 record when a quarterback has been sacked eight or more times and thrown a pick-6.
In an impressive feat, Levis endured seven sacks in the first half and still had his team leading 20-17. He joins the ranks of only five quarterbacks since 1991 who have been sacked at least seven times in the first half, with the other four failing to score any points and averaging a passer rating of 61.7. Remarkably, Levis managed a stunning rating of 146.5.
Finishing the game with a passer rating of 123.3, Levis built on his earlier performance against Green Bay in Week 3, where he also faced eight sacks and recorded a 92.8 rating. His combined 105.4 rating in games featuring eight sacks is only second to Joe Montana, who holds a 120.1 rating during similar circumstances.
Conversely, all other quarterbacks facing eight sacks have averaged a significantly lower passer rating of 67.3.