3 reasons why Derrick Henry is in better form than Saquon Barkley in NFL playoffs’ divisional round

The divisional round of the 2024 NFL playoffs features some of the best teams in the league and the most elite players. Two of those are Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, who have been the best running backs in their conferences this year.

They turned in solid performances in the wild-card round last week, building on their already spectacular seasons. While they are expected to be major factors in their team's potential success in the divisional round this week, here's why Henry has been in better overall form than Barkley recently.

Derrick Henry's edge over Saquon Barkley entering divisional round of 2024 NFL playoffs

Henry vs Barkley (GETTY)

#1 - Yards per carry

Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley averaged nearly six yards per carry during the 2024 NFL season. They also enter the divisional round with active streaks exceeding 100 rushing yards in three or more consecutive games. The difference is Henry's recent efficiency, as he has done more per carry than Barkley.

The Baltimore Ravens superstar has averaged nearly seven yards per carry in his past four games on an impressively dominant stretch. The Philadelphia Eagles' weapon has been solid as well but falls well behind at just over five yards per carry over the same timeline.

#2 - Explosive runs

Ripping off big plays has been a staple of success for Henry and Barkley this year. This heavily contributes to their outstanding performances on a yards-per-carry basis. Their explosive runs have often been game-changing for their teams, but Henry has outshined Barkley in recent weeks, entering the divisional round.

Henry has turned in at least one carry of 40 or more yards in three of his past four games with the Ravens, including in their wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Barkley has recorded a rush of more than 25 yards in just one of his past four games, including a game-high of 17 yards against the Green Bay Packers last week.

#3 - Touchdown rate

Derrick Henry finished the 2024 regular season with 16 rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley had 13 TDs, which isn't far behind, but the difference has been massive in recent weeks.

Barkley has surprisingly been held without a single touchdown in four of his past five games, including zero in his playoff game last week. Henry has been on a hot streak finding the endzone, with five touchdowns across his past three games, including two last week.