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Tennessee Titans Derrick Henry can’t be stopped by stacked boxes

By Alex La Flamme

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans jumps over Washington Redskins players with the ball during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans jumps over Washington Redskins players with the ball during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry 10th in the NFL against stacked boxes in 2018.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry had a breakout season towards the end of the 2018 campaign for the Tennessee Titans, which was key to their playoff push that fell just short.

While Henry faced plenty of stacked boxes with the Titans’ passing attack (ranked 29th) struggling, that didn’t stop him from gaining consistent yardage in his third season.

Pro Football Focus ranked Henry 10th in the NFL against stacked boxes with a grade of 71.1. The next closest player ahead of him was Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson, with a grade of 73.5.

For reference, PFF defines a stacked box as “the area of the field that typically ranges three to five yards beyond the line of scrimmage and spans the offensive line in width.”

"GRADE: 71.7 – Henry had one of the most up-and-down seasons of any player in 2018. However, his production against stacked boxes was as consistent as any. The Titans running back led the league in missed tackles forced (24) and placed second in yards after contact per attempt (4.2 yards) in said situations. He was also the only running back to earn double-digit touchdowns (11)."

Although Henry was ranked 10th, he was the only running back to score double-digit touchdowns. When it comes to rushing yards with a stacked box, Henry tallied 553 yards, which ranked him third in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley (560 yards) and Ezekiel Elliot (722 yards), per PFF.

It’s probably no surprise that Henry is on this list. The Titans are a run-first team and will be a run-first team again in 2019. Henry should have more carries than he did last season (215 attempts), leading to even better numbers for him.

Adding to the optimism for this team’s offense, Marcus Mariota and Co. will be working with an improved offensive line, partly thanks to the addition of Rodger Saffold at guard, and a deeper receiving corps. with the additions of Adam Humphries and A.J. Brown. Not to mention, the return of Delanie Walker, who missed all of the 2018 season with a broken ankle.

When you add it all up, the Titans should be able to exploit teams who focus on stopping Henry with extra men in the box. And in turn, Henry might have a bit more room to operate with behind that bolstered offensive front.

No matter what happens, it’s clear Henry can still thrive even with the opposing defense sending more help to stop him.

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