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Running back Titans Derrick Henry ran away with the offensive player of the year, just as he ran away from defenses this season.
He got 32 out of 50 votes, far exceeding defenders Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers with five each.
Henry became the eighth running back to top 2,000 yards in a single season. He ran for 2,027 yards, the fifth longest in NFL history. He was not far from Eric Dickerson’s 2,105-yard NFL single-season record that Dickerson achieved during the 1984 season.
“We are very proud of the racing game and we were successful, and so anything is possible with the group I’m in, [so] we could do it, ”Henry told the Associated Press.
Henry won the title for the second year in a row, running 470 yards more than the Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook. Henry also led the league in shipments (378), touchdowns (17), touches (397) and scrimmage yards (2,141).
He made three games with more than 200 yards, including in Week 17’s victory over the Texans, when he led the Titans to the AFC South title with 250 yards and two touchdowns.
Running backs have won four of the last eight Offensive Player of the Year awards, but Todd Gurley in 2017 was the last. Saints receiver Michael Thomas won last year.