Titan Sized
FanSided

Gil Brandt ranks Titans RB Derrick Henry as top 5 most clutch player

By Michael Moraitis

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball against Earl Thomas #29 of the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Divisional Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball against Earl Thomas #29 of the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Divisional Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

According to Hall of Fame talent evaluator and NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is one of the most clutch players in the NFL right now.

If anyone knows what a special player looks like, it’s Hall of Fame talent evaluator Gil Brandt, who made a list of the most clutch players in the NFL right now — and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry made the list.

Brandt compiled his list based on what happened during the 2019 season, so historically clutch players are not included in this list if they didn’t get it done this past season.

Henry’s ability to dominate down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs — and his breaking of multiple records along the way — was the main factor in Brandt naming him the No. 5 most clutch player.

The four guys in front of Henry were as follows: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (No. 1), Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (No. 2), Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (No. 3) and Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

I couldn’t agree more with Henry making this list, however I’d easily slide him up to No. 2 ahead of Watson, Jackson and McCaffrey after what the Titans running back did in January.

Henry literally carried the Titans through the first two rounds of the playoffs, posting a combined total of 377 rushing yards in wins over the New England Patriots and Ravens, both teams that sported top six run defenses in 2019.

Those two games, combined with his Week 17 performance against the Texans (211 rushing yards), earned Henry the honor of being the first player in NFL history to rush for 180 yards or more in three straight games.

The Alabama product won the rushing title in both the regular season (1,540 yards) on the strength of an incredible second half of the season that saw him total five 100-yard games from Week 10 on, and four of those games saw him compiled 149 yards or more.

Bear in mind, Henry was easily one of the best offensive players in the entire league during a stretch in which the Titans were in a must-win situation for every one of those contests.

Adding to that, quarterback Ryan Tannehill posted a career year thanks to the play-action game, which is a direct result of the threat that Henry posed to opposing defenses.

Henry is set to be a free agent in 2020, but the Titans would be wise to bring him back one way or the other, as he’s the heart and soul of the offense and everything revolves around him.

Home/Titans News