Titans reasons for optimism and concern vs. Saints in Week 16

Concern: Derrick Henry’s hamstring

With Derrick Henry once again not looking like himself last week, his hamstring injury continues to be a concern. Despite his issues, Henry has still found a way to be fairly productive with 189 yards and two touchdowns (both in Week 14) over the last two games, and he has still kept up a heavy workload with 39 carries in that span.

However, it’s clear Henry isn’t running with the same burst or power that we’ve seen from him this season, which is leaving yards and some big plays on the field. At this point, this Titans offense needs every yard it can get in what will be two tough games in the next two weeks.

There is a bit of good news with Henry’s status, though. Unlike last week, Henry started off the practice week on Wednesday with a limited session. The Alabama product wasn’t able to get in any practice last week before suiting up, so perhaps he’s a bit better off than he was going into Week 15.

But as Eddie George noted earlier in the week, if Henry is going into games at less than 100 percent, an injury like his will almost always get worse as a game progresses. While a hobbled Henry is better than most backs are at 100 percent, the Titans offense won’t be as good if he can’t make the explosive plays we’ve become accustomed to seeing.