Henry Plus 100 Yards, No Longer a Winning Formula
NASHVILLE – Remember the good old days? That time when you could count on certain, simple truths?
For the Tennessee Titans, that was way back in 2016-19.
It was the era when 100 or more rushing yards from Derrick Henry meant a victory. Those were good times for the franchise. And now, they are long gone.
Twice in the last three weeks Henry has topped 100 rushing yards, but the Titans lost. The latest was Thursday’s 34-17 defeat against Indianapolis, when he ran for 103 yards on 19 carries. That happened 11 days after a loss at Cincinnati in which he 112 yards on 18 attempts.
Before that, Tennessee was a perfect 13-0 when Henry reached the traditional in-game milestone, 16-0, if you include postseason contests. The mark included victories earlier in the season against Denver, Minnesota and Houston.
“When I'm out there I try to make plays and do the best I can to help my team,” Henry said recently. “And so, I let the coaches do what they do and what they feel is best for the team. I'm going to go out there when I'm out there playing and do what I can to help us win.”
What exactly that is no longer is as clear as it once was.
Over the previous three seasons (2017-19), the Titans were a perfect 11-0 when they had a 100-yard rusher (14-0 including the playoffs). Henry, the second-round pick in 2016, accounted for all but one of those games, which came from DeMarco Murray.
“Obviously, Derrick is the main guy back there,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “And, obviously, he’s had a ton of success for us.”
A 100-yard rusher still more likely than not means a victory. During the Titans era (1999-present), Tennessee has had a player hit that mark 96 times, and 75 of the (78.1 percent) resulted in a victory.
The most reliable – now that Henry has ceded that distinction – was Eddie George. The Titans were 17-1 from 1999-04 when George rushed for 100 yards or more. Chris Johnson was as likely to hit that mark as anyone but was not nearly as much of a factor in the outcome as Henry, George or any of the others. Just under 75 percent of his 35 100-yard games for Tennessee were in victories.
A look at the players who have had 100-yard rushing games for the Tennessee Titans (1999-2020), and the team’s record in those contests:
| Player | 100-Yard Games | Record | Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
Chris Johnson | 35 | 26-9 | .743 |
Eddie George | 18 | 17-1 | .944 |
Derrick Henry | 15 | 13-2 | .867 |
LenDale White | 7 | 6-1 | .857 |
DeMarco Murray | 6 | 4-2 | .667 |
Chris Brown | 7 | 4-3 | .571 |
Travis Henry | 6 | 3-3 | .500 |
Marcus Mariota | 1 | 1-0 | 1.000 |
Skip Hicks | 1 | 1-0 | 1.000 |
The turn of events speaks more to Henry’s increased role in the offense than it does the impact of his ability and performance. After he led the NFL in rushing during the 2019 regular season and playoffs and he signed a sizable contract extension during the offseason, Henry is now central to whatever the Titans do when they have the ball.
During his first four seasons, particularly the first three, if he did not have success, coaches looked elsewhere on the roster for ways to move the ball. Now, Henry is on the field and in the game plan for virtually any situation that arises.
“Usually I'm coming off the field on third down but I’m getting opportunities this year,” Henry said. “So, (I try to) take advantage of them when I'm out there, do my job the best way I can and help my team make plays.”
Henry’s five 100-yard games this season already are one shy of the career-high six, he had in 2019. He leads the NFL with 201 rushes and is on pace for 357, which would be 54 more than he had last season when he carried it more than anyone else.
So, the opportunities for more 100-yard games will be there, even if getting to that mark does not necessarily mean Tennessee will end up victorious.
“He’s carrying a heavy load and I think he appreciates that,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think he revels in that. He comes, he shows up, he prepares, he’s engaged in meetings – those are all things that are important. I think that he’s been a great teammate, not only in his performance – I think speaks for itself – but the way he carries himself here as a leader.”
