Seven the Henry Way
When the Tennessee Titans needed a reversal of fortune Saturday night, they did not roll the dice. They dropped the hammer.
Down by six late in the first half offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, coach Mike Vrabel and the rest put the ball in the hands of their most reliable offensive weapon. And they left it there for a time.
Running back Derrick Henry gained all the yards on a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that put the Titans ahead to stay in their 20-13 wild card victory over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
On that one possession, Henry carried five times for 53 yards and four first downs. He also caught one pass for 22 yards and another first down. Those six touches included the offense’s two longest plays of the contest. The runs were a mixed bag with two to the left side, two to the right side and one up the middle.
The only other offensive snap was an incomplete pass by quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
“I think we just want to put efficient drives together,” Henry said. “And everybody just [needs to] do their job – beat the man in front of you and be physical. I think that’s what we tried to do as we were moving the ball down the field.”
A play-by-play look at the Titans’ second-quarter touchdown drive:
· First-and-10 from the Tennessee 25: Henry off right tackle for 29 yards
· First-and-10 from the New England 46: Tannehill pass to Jonnu Smith, incomplete
· Second-and-10 from the New England 46: Henry over left guard for 11 yards
· First-and-10 from the New England 35: Henry over right guard for 9 yards
· Second-and-1 from the New England 26: Henry off left tackle for 3 yards
· First-and-10 from the New England 23: Tannehill screen pass left to Henry for 22 yards
· First-and-goal from the New England 1: Henry up the middle for the touchdown
Others on offense did get involved at times throughout the rest of the contest, but always Henry was the centerpiece of the attack. Five of Tennessee’s first seven offensive plays were Henry runs. Each of the final seven possessions started with at least one handoff to the NFL’s 2019 rushing champion.
When all was said and done 35 of the 57 plays the Titans ran (61.4 percent) ended with the ball in Henry’s hands. He carried it 34 times for 182 yards and one touchdown and caught the one pass for 22 yards.
His 204 total yards accounted for 75 percent of his team’s total. During the Super Bowl era, only Eric Dickerson (77.2 percent for the L.A. Rams, Jan. 4, 1986) and Larry Brown (76 percent for Washington, Dec. 26, 1971) produced a bigger share for their teams in a playoff game.
“He’s one of a kind,” center Ben Jones said of Henry. “And he’s special. And it’s just an honor to block for a guy like that and know If we put a hat on a hat, he can go the distance on any play. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
With his performance, Henry broke Eddie George’s franchise records for rushing attempts and yards in a postseason games, both of which he set during the run to Super Bowl XXIV. That year, George carried it 29 times against Buffalo in the wild card round and ran for 162 yards the next week against Indianapolis in the divisional round.
Henry now holds the Titans/Oilers single-game rushing records for the regular season (238 vs. Jacksonville last season) and the playoffs. With his 156 yards in a wild card victory at Kansas City two years ago, he has two of the top three postseason performances in team history. He also has two of the top five regular season totals.
“To be able to run the football and stop the run was huge,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “We’re appreciative of everything (Henry) does and the way the offensive line and the tight ends and the fullbacks … you know, it takes all 11 to run the football, but certainly Derrick’s a huge part of that.
“… When you can run it when the other team knows you’re going to run it, that says a lot about your running game.”
And about your running back in particular.