Thomas J. Russo/USA Today Sports
Fumbles Don't Diminish Henry's Roll
No doubt, the overwhelming majority of running backs who have taken a handoff in the NFL have done – at one time or another – what Derrick Henry did on his first attempt Sunday.
He fumbled.
By the time the Tennessee Titans completed their 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, though, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner had accomplished something only some of the best ever to play the position had.
With 149 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, Henry became the fifth player in history with at least 145 yards and a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games. The only others to do so were Jim Brown (1958), O.J. Simpson (1976), Eric Dickerson (1984) and Adrian Peterson (2012). The first three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the fourth certainly is destined for enshrinement five years after he plays his final game.
“Definitely, I have to take care of the ball,” Henry said following the game. “That’s a major issue with me. So, I have to make sure I work hard and focus on it. That can cost us in games down the line. … Coach [Mike Vrabel] talked about trusting and believing in one another, to just go out and play for one another. That’s what we did.”
A rundown of Derrick Henry’s current streak of games with at least 145 yards and one touchdown rushing:
| Opponent | Attempts | Yards | TD | Yards per carry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
vs. Kansas City | 23 | 188 | 2 | 8.2 |
vs. Jacksonville | 19 | 159 | 2 | 8.4 |
at Indianapolis | 26 | 149 | 1 | 5.7 |
The others in the select fraternity of which Henry is now a member all had their streaks during seasons in which they led the league in rushing. Dickerson and Peterson each did it en route to 2,000-yard seasons. None made it four in a row, an opportunity that awaits Henry when Tennessee (7-5) faces Oakland (6-6) on Sunday.
Henry is third in the NFL with 1,140 yards, 496 of which have come in the last three games. He trails only Cleveland’s Nick Chubb (1,175) and Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey (1,167). His 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for second with two others behind McCaffrey, who has 12.
However, Henry also has fumbled five times. That is already a career-high by a wide margin – he lost the handle just twice on 501 rushes over his first three seasons. Seattle’s Chris Carson is the only NFL running back with more fumbles in 2019 (seven).
Three of Henry’s mishandles, including the one against the Colts, were recovered by the opposition and all three led to touchdowns for the other team.
“Nobody’s harder on himself than Derrick,” Vrabel said. “And I appreciate that about him. But it’s my job as a coach to let him know the impact he can have on the game. That that’s one play of 60 or 65 plays. And we can’t let that define the game. … Sure, we had a great run. Great play. To their credit, they made a play and were able to get the ball.
“We have to keep coming and keep understanding the impact that he can have throughout the rest of the game. And he certainly did [against Indianapolis].”
Coaches and quarterback Ryan Tannehill made it clear that the latest giveaway did nothing to diminish their faith in Henry. On Tennessee’s next possession, he got the ball on five of the first six plays (three runs, two passes). At halftime, he was the only Titans player who had run the ball and he had 63 yards on 11 carries. His 34-yard gain on their second play of the second half led to a touchdown, a 13-yard Henry run with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter.
“You just have to let (the fumble) go,” Henry said. “I’ll definitely work on it week after week. I got to get better at it. But play goes on. Game goes on.”
And right now Henry is on the kind of roll that does not happen often in the NFL.
