There are only five weeks left in the NFL season this year. And what a year it has been (unless you’re a Lions fan, in which case we are very sorry). We are now getting to the point in the year where people are wondering who is going to be named MVP, Rookie of the Year, and who is going to lead the league in all the main stats.
Today, we are going to look at one of our favorite statistics – the number of rushing touchdowns.
Why do we love rushing touchdowns so much? Because they are one of the most exciting parts of Football and they can turn a game on its head.
Today, we are going to talk about the 5 players we think will be leading the league for rushing touchdowns by the end of the season.
#5 – Damien Harris, New England Patriots
We’re not saying that Harris and the hard work that he has put in this season are solely responsible for the much better season that the Patriots have had in 21-22… But Harris’ 9 rushing touchdowns so far this season definitely haven’t hurt them.
In his first two seasons at the NFL, Harris only scored two rushing touchdowns, so we are both surprised and very happy to see him on this list. His 9 touchdowns put him at 5th place in the league at the moment. At this rate, we could see him making his way to at least 3rd in the league by the end of the season.
#4 – Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry is an injury reserve for the Tennessee Titans but after his rushing performance this season, we could see him starting for them in 22-23.
Henry scored 16 rushing touchdowns in 2019 and 17 in 2020. If he repeats that this year, that could be enough to put him at the top of the table this season.
Henry has had multiple matches this season where he has scored 3 rushing touchdowns. If he was able to score more consistently for the rest of the season then he could easily make it to the top of this list. Despite being 6 touchdowns behind the current leader.
Henry led the league last season, so we wouldn’t be shocked to see him putting in the effort to retain his crown.
#3 – Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon was an excellent rusher throughout his college career, so it is no surprise to us that he continues to score rushing touchdowns now.
Mixon played for the Oklahoma Sooners and scored the majority of their rushing touchdowns for the two years he was with them. You can bet on the Sooners’ results and find other college football odds and lines here.
Mixon is currently the joint second-highest rushing touchdown scorer in the league right now. He has scored at least one rushing touchdown in the last 6 matches. He is currently on 12 rushing touchdowns for the season, which is a personal best. Last year he only scored 3 touchdowns all year.
#2 – James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have been having a sensational year and so has James Conner.
Conner is currently at a personal best for rushing touchdowns with 12 this season, he has already doubled the amount he scored last season (6 in total during 20-21).
We have put Conner in second place on this list, over Mixon, despite their scores being equal because throughout his career Conner has been much more consistent when it comes to scoring rushing touchdowns.
Also with the way the Cardinals are playing at the moment, we think Conner will get more opportunities to score during the final 5 games than Mixon will.
#1 – Jonathan Taylor, Illinois Colts
Last year, Taylor was third in the league for rushing touchdowns. He has already surpassed his total of 11 last season. And he is one touchdown away from equalling Henry’s league-leading 17 touchdowns last season.
No one expected a player as young and inexperienced as Taylor to be scoring 4 rushing touchdowns in one match, but he did that earlier this season against the Bills. This is Taylor’s 2nd season in the NFL, and 11 rushing touchdowns aren’t bad for a rookie year. But 16 rushing touchdowns in your second season really is impressive.
We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will get to see Taylor and the Colts in the playoffs this season, so we can see him play more.
