If Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is going to repeat as the NFL’s rushing leader in 2020 — or at least come close to it — he’s going to have to navigate a tough slate of run defenses from the jump.
The Titans will face the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 1, the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Week 2, the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 3 and the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 4.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Ian Hartitz, that slate is among the toughest in the NFL for running backs in the first four weeks of the 2020 season.
Tennessee Titans (Broncos, Jaguars, Vikings, Steelers): Derrick Henry has always made the most of his offensive line’s limitations with gaudy YAC stats. He’ll need to be on his A-game aside from his Week 2 blowup spot.
The only break in those four games is with the Jaguars, a team that sported one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season based on DVOA (No. 31) and is primed to do so once again in 2020.
The Steelers (No. 3) and Vikings (No. 8) were both top 10 in the metric, while the Broncos (No. 16) ranked right in the middle of the NFL and should be an improved defense overall this upcoming season.
The good news for Henry is that things get easier from there.
PFF ranks the Titans’ running back strength of schedule as the ninth-easiest overall. In terms of the fantasy football playoffs (Weeks 14-16), Henry has the easiest slate of run defenses in the NFL in that span.
