Matt LaFleur is no stranger to Derrick Henry's dominance
Any time an opposing team is preparing to take on the Tennessee Titans, the conversation always begins with Derrick Henry. Former Titans offensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur knows that better than anyone. Having spent the 2018 season as Tennessee's offensive coordinator, LaFleur is all too familiar with how special […]
Any time an opposing team is preparing to take on the Tennessee Titans, the conversation always begins with Derrick Henry. Former Titans offensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur knows that better than anyone.
Having spent the 2018 season as Tennessee's offensive coordinator, LaFleur is all too familiar with how special of a player Henry is. On Thursday Night Football, LaFleur will find out if his group is up for the task of containing the best running back in the game.
"He's what I like to call a creature. He's a freak of nature," LaFleur said of Henry earlier this week. "You just don't find guys that are that big and that fast. If he gets going, it's going to be a long day."
According to LaFleur, there are a few similarities in the Titans' running scheme and the one he currently utilizes in Green Bay. Namely, LaFleur diagnosed Tennessee's emphasis on getting off the ball on outside zones as being familiar concepts.
The fourth-year Packers head coach thinks taking advantage of those looks and getting Henry to run laterally will be a key to containing him.
"You have to do a good job of trying to contain him, bottle him up, try to get him going laterally," LaFleur said. "Once he gets going downhill, it's just like a freight train going through there. Derrick is one of a kind. He can wear you down. A lot of the times, he gets stronger as the games go on. It was cool to be with him for that one year."
Henry's emergence as the best running back in the NFL began in the second half of that 2018 season when he posted 585 rushing yards in his final four games of the season.
That said, the 2018 version of Derrick Henry that LaFleur came to know was only scratching the surface of what he is today. As we saw a few weeks ago in Houston, everyone knows the Titans are going to give him the ball, and sometimes you still can't stop him.
Green Bay has had trouble against the run all season. The Packers defense is currently 26th in rushing yards allowed per game, while their defense is the third best against the pass.
Tennessee is almost certain to play through Henry on Thursday night, and even LaFleur's Titans history may not be enough to stop 22.
Image via George Walker IV-USA TODAY NETWORK
