A Rundown of Derrick Henry's (Many) Latest Rushing Achievements

The Tennessee Titans. back set records, reached milestones with his performance Sunday at Jacksonville.

Derrick Henry doesn’t let go of things easily.

The Tennessee Titans running back admitted that he did not play to his standards against the Cleveland Browns. He mustered just 60 yards, snapping a streak of three consecutive performances of at least 100 yards. He did not score a touchdown. He lost his first fumble in nearly a year. The Titans lost.

So, what did he do to make it right? He used the Jacksonville Jaguars defense as his punching bag (again), delivering blow after blow in Sunday’s 31-10 victory at TIAA Ban Stadium.

He ran like he was “pissed off” (his words) to the tune of 26 carries for 215 yards and two touchdowns, setting a record or reaching a milestone with what felt like every single yard. But he cares very little about his long, ever-changing register.

“I just want to do my job to help my team and do anything I can to help us win,” Henry said. “Stats really don’t matter. You do what you need to do to help your team win then everything else takes care of itself.”

By halftime, Henry had 122 yards on 15 carries -- the 13th time topped 100 rushing yards in a half in his career. The highlight came with under a minute to go, when Henry exploded through the middle of the Jaguars defense and down the right sideline for a 36-yard touchdown, his first score of the game, to put the Titans up 14-3.

Henry ripped of a 47-yard run on the Titans’ first possession of the third quarter for his longest run of the contest. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Geoff Swaim on the next play.

After cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Jaguars quarterback Mike Glennon moments later, Henry capped off a six play, 48-yard drive with a one-yard plunge into the end zone to put Tennessee ahead 31-10.

He surpassed 200 rushing yards in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard gain with 11:46 to play, his last play of the afternoon

“There were others who brought it to my attention that he was close to 200 yards,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I gave him one opportunity. He took advantage of it.”

It was Henry’s second 200-yard performance of the season and fourth of his career.

Here’s a look at the milestones Henry, the league’s rushing leader, reached on Sunday:

1. He is the first running back to have two 200-yard performances in a single season since former Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi had three in 2016. Only four other running backs have one such performance since the start of 2018, including Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who trails Henry in the rushing title race. 
2. He became the first player in league history to have four games with 200-plus yards and two touchdowns. Henry had 212 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over the Houston Texans earlier this season. He ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in Week 17 of last season, also against Houston. His first 200-yard, two-touchdown performance was in 2018, when he ran for a single-game high 238 yards and four touchdowns against Jacksonville.
3. Henry has 1,532 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Only six other running backs in league history have rushed for at least 1,500 yards and 14-plus touchdowns through 13 weeks. The others: Jim Brown (1958, Browns), O.J. Simpson (1975, Bills), Walter Payton (1977, Bears), Erik Dickerson (1983, Rams), Terrell Davis (1998, Broncos), Ricky Williams (2002, Dolphins). Five of those six running backs are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All six of them won the league’s rushing title in those seasons.
4. Henry has amassed 100 rushing yards or more in nine consecutive road games. Only Barry Sanders has a longer streak (10 from 1996 to 1997).
5. Henry has eight games of at least 100 rushing yards this season and 15 such performances since Week 10 of last season, including postseason games.
6. Henry has rushed for at least 100 yards in three of his last six games against the Jaguars. However, Sunday was the first time he hit that mark against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, the closest NFL city to his hometown of Yulee, Fla.
7. Henry stayed ahead and created even more distance in the rushing title race. While he ran all over TIAA Bank Stadium, Cook, his opponent in the race, had an impressive showing with 102 yards, but it was not as good as Henry’s.

While all of that is impressive, Henry never takes any of the credit. His teammates, specifically the offensive line, make his job an easy one to do, he said.

“I told those guys while the game was going on and we were out that I appreciate all of them – receivers, tight ends, fullback, O-Line – like I said the unselfishness for them to have that excitement about the way the game’s going for me – I always appreciate that,” Henry said.

It doesn’t come around too often, to have teammates like that. I love my teammates, and I’m happy we were able to go out there and have a good game as a team.”

And his teammates have enjoyed helping him reach new highs and milestones every week.

“Derrick is a special player and always runs hard and plays the way we like to run our offense which is to wear people down,” right tackle Dennis Kelly said. “So, it’s really cool to be a part of what he’s doing.”