When the Tennessee Titans face the Houston Texans, it is Derrick Henry time
On Monday night in South Florida, the Tennessee Titans did something a lot of people didn't think they could do.
Their 28-27 come-from-behind win over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins was made even more remarkable by the fact the Tennessee Titans were down 14 points with only 4:34 to play.
This Sunday in Nashville, Titans running back Derrick Henry may be getting ready to do something he's been accustomed to doing. The Houston Texans come to town and the workhorse running back has made a living out of abusing this AFC South rival’s defensive unit.
The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL rushing champion has faced the Texans a dozen times. He’s totaled 225 carries for 1,380 yards and run for 12 scores. That means that Henry is putting up 6.1 yards per carry, 115.0 rushing yards, and a touchdown per game.
Most of those yards have come in his last five meetings with this AFC South rival (Henry missed both games in 2021) dating back to the clubs’ second clash in 2019. He’s run for 211, 212, 250, 219, and 126 yards, respectively, in those contests. That adds up to 1,018 yards and 10 TDs over that span.
Can the Tennessee Titans count on a bounce back from Derrick Henry
This is traditionally the time of the year that Henry plays his best football. In his last three games this season, he hasn't racked up yards like you might expect when you consider that we are in the heart of "DeHenber" (212 yards on 56 attempts) but he has thrived in the redzone with six touchdowns over that stretch.
The Tennessee Titans close the season with three of their final four games at home and now that they have a taste of playing the spoiler role, it will be interesting to see just how competitive they will be in a lost season.
This year, the Houston Texans’ much-improved defense currently ranks eighth in the league vs. the run. If Henry does his usual thing in this series, Houston’s number in this category could look dramatically different by the conclusion of Week 15. If not, this matchup will be even more interesting in a few weeks when the Tennessee Titans face the Houston Texans with a healthy C.J. Stroud on the road.