Texans Focused on Foiling Henry's Bid for 2,000 Yards
For the Tennessee Titans, Week 17 of this season will in some ways be the same as it was last season.
A win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium once again will get them into the postseason. In this case, it also will mean first place in the AFC South.
Running back Derrick Henry has another chance to set himself apart in the regular season finale, although this time he is not chasing the league’s rushing title. He has already won that. It will, however, be an opportunity for Henry to become the eighth player in NFL history and the first since 2012 to reach 2,000 yards.
Henry, who earned a second career Pro Bowl selection a few weeks ago, has 1,777 rushing yards this season. He needs 223 more to join the 2,000 club, and it's not all that crazy to think he could do it.
“I know that he's probably planning on it,” Houston’s interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “But what we have to do is we have to keep him from getting to the second level, because once he gets to the second level, he becomes a different animal then. He's done very well getting to the second level against a lot of teams.
“We know we’ve got our work cut out for us, but we're going to line up and we're going to play hard and see if we can slow him down.”
Henry is tied for third in league history with four 200-yard games, and two of those performances occurred this season. With 215 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this month, Henry became the first player to have multiple 200-yard showings in a season since former Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi had three in 2016. Only four other running backs have had one such performance since the start of 2018.
Henry first topped 200 yards in 2020 against Houston, a 42-36 Titans victory in Week 6. He ran for 212 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the extra frame. He also had 52 receiving yards in that contest.
In Week 17 of last season, Henry registered 211 yards and three touchdowns on the ground against the Texans in a 35-14 victory to get the Titans into the postseason as a wild card team. The Titans eventually reached the AFC Championship game.
If he does it again, he will be the first player in NFL history with three 200-yard rushing performances against a single opponent.
The Texans have the third-worst rushing defense in the league this season.
“He’s one of the best backs in the game,” Houston safety A.J. Moore said. “He’s a big target. So, we just have to gang tackle him. Everybody get to the ball and play the Texans defense like we know how to.”
Only four players have had three 200-yard showings in a season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Ajayi was the last to do it. Before him, Tiki Barber, Earl Campbell and O.J. Simpson did so.
The bottom line: rushing for 200 yards or more in a season on three separate occasions is hard.
But Henry, whose career-high is 238 (Dec. 6, 2018 vs. Jacksonville), already has accomplished so much this season.
He seems more than capable of getting there once again. And he has the motivation to do it.
“Our guys definitely … know that’s at stake.” Houston defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “Bigger than that, we’re trying to win the game and if we get the opportunity to try to send them home and that’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to do everything we can to try to make that happen.”
