Commanders Defense Needs to Stop 'Amazing' Titans RB Derrick Henry

The Washington Commanders are looking for a win to try and turn their season around. But in order to do so, they must beat Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 7, 2022

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If the Washington Commanders (1-3) want to break their losing streak on Sunday, they have to find a way to stop Tennessee Titans (2-2) running back Derrick Henry.

While he may not be one of the league's elite running backs so far this season, Henry has had a good first month. His 306 rushing yards rank 11th in the NFL through four games and he reached the 100-yard mark last week in a win against the Indianapolis Colts for the first time this season.

“Yeah, he is just so big and strong," defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said. "He is just an amazing running back, amazing talent. That is just one part of what we have to do. It starts there.”

The Titans were the AFC's best team last season at 12-5, so there are more facets to the team that the Commanders will have to manage ... but if the team doesn't stop Henry, the rest of the keys may not matter.

This means that defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen will have to be on their A-game come Sunday. As a defense, the Commanders rank 16th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game with 112.

The Commanders and Titans face off at 1 p.m. Sunday at FedEx Field.

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Published Oct 7, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.