Henry 'Ready to Go' ... For This Week and Many More to Come

Coming back from an injury-shortened 2021, the two-time rushing champion intends to be an NFL force for years to come.

NASHVILLE – The NFL recorded yet another historic season through the air last year as teams completed more passes than ever.

Despite all those deep, downfield tosses and highlight-reel catches, don’t be so quick to dismiss the impact of a powerful rushing attack like the one the Tennessee Titans and Derrick Henry have unleashed upon the league over the last few years.

In 2021, for example, NFL teams with a 100-yard rusher posted a 73-28-2 record and a .718 winning percentage.

That ranked higher than teams with a 100-yard receiver (105-61 record, .633 winning percentage) or a 300-yard passer (68-44, .607 winning percentage).

So who says the old ground-and-pound can’t produce victories?

“That shows you running backs are important,” Henry said with a smile Thursday. “Maybe more important than the quarterback. No ... just playing. But if you’ve got a good running game, you can control the line of scrimmage.

"I feel like that’s always big. It gives you the momentum throughout the game – when you’re pushing piles, getting tough yards, and that leads to big (runs). So anytime you got momentum in the run game it usually ends up good on your side of the ball.”

Henry played in just eight regular-season games last year but still managed to top 100 yards five times. The Titans’ record in those games was 4-1, with wins over Seattle, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Buffalo. Only the New York Jets beat the Titans when Henry topped the 100-yard mark.

In his six seasons, Henry has topped the 100-yard mark 28 times (including playoff contests), leading the Titans to a 25-3 mark in those games.

How many times might Henry hit the 100-yard moving forward?

He turned 28 years old last January and has a combined 900 carries over the past three regular seasons. But the two-time NFL rushing champion said he has designs on playing many more years, hoping to follow in the footsteps of runners like Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore. Peterson played his 15th season at 36 years old in 2021, while Gore played his 16th season at 37 years old in 2020.

“Those guys played for a long time,” Henry said. “They were like the pedestal as far as running backs playing more than they were expected in recent years. … (Peterson) has been a role model for me, him and (Gore), since I’ve been playing football. They’ve set the standard high, so I hope I can live up to it.”

Henry will have to prove he’s fully recovered from the foot surgery that cost him nine games last year. He did return for the Titans’ playoff loss to Cincinnati. But Henry looked a little rusty after missing so much time, rushing 20 times for 62 yards.

Is he motivated by those who doubt his ability to bounce back to the level of 2020, when Henry ran for 2,027 yards and was named the NFL’s offensive player of the year?

“I’m just hungry,” Henry said. “There’s always going to be `He say, she say’ that goes on every day. But I can’t really worry about that. I’m just focused on what I need to do. I’m hungry. I’m ready to go. It’s Week 1.”