The Tennessee Titans have one of the NFL’s most solid ground games, with former Alabama rusher Derrick Henry to thank.
Henry was a large part of propelling the team through the postseason in 2019 before the Titans ultimately fell just one game short of a Super Bowl LIV appearance.
Prior to that, he finished out the regular season with the league’s rushing title (1,540 yards).
With rookie Darrynton Evans providing an upgrade behind him, Henry is expected to return as a force once more in the upcoming season.
Patrik Walker of CBS Sports ranked “King Henry” fourth in the league in his list of top 10 running backs for the 2020 season. That’s ahead of Nick Chubb (who Henry beat out for the rushing title last season) and behind Saquon Barkley.
“Yes, you can attribute some of the turnaround in Nashville to Ryan Tannehill,” Walker wrote. “For the most part, however, it was Henry strapping the Titans on his back and bulldozing through opponents in 2019. When Tannehill couldn’t get things going, Henry took the ball and became a man possessed — especially when it mattered most. In the playoffs, he rushed for an eye-popping 182 yards and 195 yards respectively in the upsets over both the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, and on the road… and with both teams throwing the kitchen sink at him.”
Just one team last season was ever truly able to put a stop to the big back.
“He could only be stopped by the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, but the aforementioned playoff performances let everyone know his regular season was no fluke,” Walker wrote.
It will be interesting to see just how well Henry can build off of 2019’s momentum, and how Evans will factor into it all.
