Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry on pace for record-setting season

By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

As an avid chess player, I am well aware of the impact of the king. Although the queen possesses more power, the king is the most important piece on the chessboard, and opponents must trap him to win the game.

Given the weight that kings have on the outcome of chess matches, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry deserves his nickname, "The King," based on how his team’s success hinges on his performance.

While quarterback Ryan Tannehill plays the more glorified position, Tennessee's recent rise to prominence is tied to Henry’s historic run through the record books. The reigning back-to-back NFL rushing champ is on pace to post his second straight 2,000-yard season while claiming his third rushing crown.

If this were the 1980s, Henry’s legendary feats would fall in line with the mentality of "three yards and a cloud of dust" that permeated the league. In those days, running backs were the kings of the castle, with the likes of Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen and others reigning supreme in the NFL.

Fast-forward to 2021, and the NFL has evolved into a passing league, with teams opting to put their fates in the hands of quarterbacks. The Titans, however, are a throwback unit, with coach Mike Vrabel placing the hopes and dreams of the franchise in the arms of an old-school runner with unique traits as a workhorse back.

Measuring 6-foot-3, 247 pounds with speed that was clocked in the 4.5-second range as a collegian, Henry moves like a Clydesdale on the grass. As a violent runner with the capacity to run between the tackles or on the edges, Henry blasts through defenders on an assortment of power plays. But he also displays the vision, balance and body control to find creases against over-aggressive defenses. 

The combination of strength, power and finesse from a monstrous runner is rare and downright scary for second-level defenders hoping to avoid Henry’s devastating stiff-arm. Moreover, frightened defenders move out of the way to spare themselves the embarrassment of a cameo appearance on The King’s highlight film.

As a young defender in the NFL, I remember how the Titans/Oilers relied on Eddie George to set the tone in a similar fashion. The former All-Pro would utilize every inch of his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame to deliver a series of knockout blows that left defenders lying in his wake.

The Oilers/Titans would lean into George’s menacing presence and intimidating ways by leaving cornerbacks unblocked on running plays to test their toughness, courage and tackling skills in space. Playing "bully ball" behind their gigantic running back, the team could feature a rudimentary passing game with Steve McNair throwing darts to an underrated cast of pass-catchers. 

Sound familiar?

The current version of the Titans must have found some of that old footage in the vault when they were constructing their offense around Henry. The offensive menu features a number of power plays designed to take advantage of the behemoth’s skills as a workhorse runner while exploiting the soft or vulnerable cover accompanying the loaded boxes and fronts opponents employ to stop the run.

The current version of the Titans features more firepower, with A.J. Brown and Julio Jones on the perimeter. The receiving tandem poses problems on the outside with superior size, route-running ability and playmaking potential. The presence of a pair of Pro Bowl receivers enhances a passing game that flashes explosive potential with Henry commanding attention in the backfield.

Tannehill has taken advantage of the extra attention defensive coordinators give Henry by torching opponents on a variety of play-action passes. According to Pro Football Focus, the Titans have run play-action at least 30% of the time in each of the team’s four wins (30.2% vs. Seattle, 32.1% vs. Indianapolis, 36% vs. Jacksonville and 31% vs. Buffalo) compared to just 14.4% in Tennessee's two losses.

The numbers reflect the impact and influence Henry has on defensive game plans and how defensive coordinators opt to attack the Titans. Per Next Gen Stats, Henry has seen a "light" box (six or fewer defenders) on only 20.4% of his rushes, fourth-fewest among 40 players with 50-plus rushes. He has excelled against "loaded" boxes (seven-plus defenders) with 624 rush yards, which is 101 more yards than any other player has on all rushing attempts (Nick Chubb, 523).

That is not only incredible production against defenses stacked to defend the running game but also a testament to Henry’s greatness as a playmaker. Since 2018, he leads all NFL runners in 100-plus-yard games (23), 150-plus-yard games (11), 200-plus-yard games (five), games with two or more touchdowns (16) and games with three or more TDs (six).

As one of just three players in NFL history with 750-plus rush yards and 10-plus touchdowns in his team's first six games (Jim Brown in 1958 and Dickerson in 1983), Henry is on pace for 2,219 rush yards and 28 rushing TDs this season. Those numbers would shatter the NFL single-season rushing record and tie him with Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson for the single-season rushing TD mark.

Given Henry’s dominance as a workhorse, it is easy to see why Vrabel has built the Titans’ offense around his talents. The throwback runner has shown the ability to put the offense on his back, and everyone benefits from his work.

Until someone comes up with a plan to stop them, the Titans will continue to whip opponents with a chess strategy that places all of the emphasis on The King.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.