Breaking down the Titans offensive matchup vs Steelers defense
By Brady Akins
The Big Question
We might have seen the Derrick Henry breakout game last week. A Week 6 slashing of the Houston Texans run defense that had a little bit of everything– from 94-yard touchdown runs, to a key moment as a pass-catcher, to a bit of Arthur Smith magic on a walk-off touchdown that was snapped directly to Henry.
El Tractorcito looked like his old self once again, and it was exactly the spark the Titans offense needed to overcome their division-rival. And up against a fellow unbeaten in the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Titans might once again need all the offensive magic they can muster. But can Henry deliver for a second straight week?
The Titans’ franchise running back has shown countless times his ability to take over games, with Week 6 being the most recent example. But against a stout Steelers front-seven, Henry might find it a bit more difficult to get as much going on the ground as he did against the Texans.
Where Henry cruised to over 250 yards from scrimmage against one of the league’s worst run defenses, the Steelers haven’t given up more than 80 yards on the ground to any running back this season. While Henry managed an insane 9.6 yards per carry against a Texans defense ranked last in YPC allowed, the Steelers are ranked second in the NFL, giving up just 3.3 yards per carry.
It’s the classic case of an unstoppable force in Derrick Henry vs an immovable object in the Steelers run defense– but something’s gotta give. One team has to get the upper hand here, but who’s it going to be?