Week 2 watch list: Tennessee Titans offense vs Jacksonville Jaguars
By Brady Akins
Can Derrick Henry Bounce Back?
By his standard, Derrick Henry’s Week 1 performance was a bad game or at least a step below the level he usually plays. So, let’s break down exactly what a “bad Derrick Henry game” looks like.
116 yards on the ground on 31 carries, and an additional 15 receiving yards on three catches. When all was said and done, Henry’s rushing performance was enough to make him the league’s second-leading rusher after the first week of play. That’s right, even in his “disappointing” performances, Henry still manages to rival any running back in the league.
The problem for Henry came in his efficiency. While his 116 yards ranked towards the top of the NFL, his 3.7 yards per carry weren’t even in the top 25. The fact alone that Henry was able to carry the load of 34 total touches is impressive enough, but what made Derrick Henry a special player in 2019 is his ability to match that heavy volume with efficiency. He wasn’t able to do that in Week 1 against the Broncos, but he’ll have a chance to right the ship against Jacksonville.
In his three career games against Denver, two of which while playing at the high-altitude of the Mile High City, Derrick Henry has never quite looked like Derrick Henry. Whether the altitude slows him down, whether the Broncos just have him figured out, or both, Henry has never performed well against that pesky Denver defense. 12 carries for 42 yards in his first meeting against the Broncos his rookie year, 31 carries for 116 yards in their most recent matchup, and of course, a 15 carry-28 yard performance last year in the worst game of Henry’s career.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, Henry has made a habit of saving his best games for when he plays the Jacksonville Jaguars. And this year, the Jaguars defense looks weaker on paper than it has since Henry became the starting running back.
Against a much weaker front-seven than the Broncos have, Derrick Henry will get a chance in Week 2 to redeem his performance from Week 1. Whether or not he can actually do it remains to be seen.