Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry, DeMarco Murray meshing

The Tennessee Titans have seen their running back duo of Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray blossom into one of the best in the NFL this season…

The Tennessee Titans are getting more than they could have asked for this season from DeMarco Murray, who has again entrenched himself as a star in this league. They have also gotten some nice production at times from Derrick Henry, the stud rookie out of Alabama who has been allowed to develop slowly thus far.

In an otherwise forgettable Thursday Night Football game, Henry scored the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career:

If you like speed and power… you’ll be an instant fan of @KingHenry_2.

6 more on the board for TEN! #TitanUp #TNF https://t.co/rhBKwZMMv3

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) October 28, 2016

He also showed off his ability to catch the ball and gain yards after the catch:

Oh yeah. @KingHenry_2 can catch the out of the backfield, too. #TNF https://t.co/EUz3IKfYUL

— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2016

The story of this season for the Titans, though, has been the re-emergence of former NFL rushing king DeMarco Murray, who was acquired this offseason for next to nothing. The Titans were simply willing to take on Murray’s cap hit, so the Eagles let him go and felt pretty good about it after a relatively bad year in 2015.

2016 has been kind to Murray, who has been arguably the best all-around back in the NFL. It’s hard to argue when he’s making plays like this:

Nice vision and footwork by @DeMarcoMurray on @Titans‘ 3rd TD of the evening. #TitanUp #TNF https://t.co/uuwJK0S2qj https://t.co/kvciZrqjzo

— The Tennessean (@Tennessean) October 28, 2016

On Thurday night, Murray carried the ball 21 times for 123 yards and a touchdown, absolutely torching the Jaguars’ defense. It’s his third game of at least 100 yards rushing in the last four weeks, and his fourth 100-plus yard performance overall.

With these two paving the way, the Titans’ offense is allowed to open up, and Marcus Mariota’s job is much easier. He enjoyed one of the best home games of his NFL career on Thurday night with a QB rating near 150. Mariota had no interceptions in the game, the first time he’s done that in a home game in his short NFL career.

Everything flows through the running game. The Titans have obviously figured some things out, and with the AFC South as wide open as we have seen it, these talented backs could be setting this team up for some late-season success.