Every NFL team’s greatest rushing season of all time

Tennessee Titans: Earl Campbell (1979)

Only eight times in NFL history has a player run for at least 2,000 yards in a season. Two of them have played, Chris Johnson (2,006) in 2009 and Derrick Henry (2,027) in 2020, for the franchise formerly known as the Houston Oilers. There have only been five instances where a player totaled at least 400 carries in a season and Tennessee Titans standout Eddie George (403) achieved that feat in 2000.

However, there is only one Earl Campbell. He burst onto the scene as the first overall pick in 1978. He had a huge year for an Oilers team that would capture a wild-card berth and reach the AFC title game. In his second season, the workhorse kicked off the year with 32 carries, 166 yards and two scores in a win at Washington. It was one of six games in which Campbell logged at least 30 attempts and the first of 11 contests in which he reached the century mark on the ground.

Campbell closed the regular season with seven straight 100-plus-yard rushing outings. He got banged up in the wild-card round vs. the Broncos and unfortunately, was never the same the rest of the year.

You could make a strong case that Henry’s 2019 season rivals Campbell’s performance in 1979, especially when you consider the former’s strong finish. However, the slight edge goes to the “Tyler Rose.”

Next: Washington Redskins