After national pundits spent the offseason largely predicting Derrick Henry’s demise, the Tennessee Titans’ superstar running back is once again producing like a potential Offensive Player of the Year candidate.
It seems like only yesterday that many were using Henry’s unfortunate foot injury from 2021 to create a misleading narrative surrounding his supposed inevitable regression in 2022.
To the surprise of no one with common sense, a 28-year-old Henry in the middle of his prime was never going to let a foot injury stop him from achieving the greatness he’s truly destined for.
The Alabama legend once again not only leads the league in rushing after nine weeks (870 yards), but he’s also one of two skill players to have already eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards this season.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill leads the way with 1,129 total yards, while Henry comes in second with a total of 1,010 yards.
— The Titans Wire (@TheTitansWire) November 8, 2022
The All-Pro running back needs to average approximately 126 rushing yards per game for the rest of the season in order to become the only running back in NFL history to have two 2,000-yard seasons on the ground.
That average may sound high to a normal running back, but as everybody knows, Henry isn’t your ordinary ball carrier.
Derrick Henry over his last 55 games played:
: 6,392 Rushing Yards
: 64 Total Touchdowns
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) November 1, 2022
Over Henry’s last 56 contests, he’s averaged an astounding 116.1 yards on the ground. In total, the King has accounted for 6,507 rushing yards and 66 total touchdowns over those 56 games.
This season alone, Henry has eclipsed at least 115 total yards in six straight games while rushing for over 100 yards in five straight outings, averaging 135.6 yards on the ground per contest in that five-game span.
Henry also still has six games against run defenses that are currently ranked 20th or worse. The Titans are scheduled to face the Broncos (21st), Packers (26th), Eagles (20th), Chargers (29th), Texans (32nd), and Cowboys (24th) over the coming weeks.
And, of course, “DHenber” has yet to come.
Only time will tell if Tennessee’s star running back approaches anything close to another 2,000-yard season on the ground.
Nonetheless, anyone still doubting and/or betting against what Henry can accomplish is either delusional, ignorant, or a combination of the two.