Titans are finding balance on offense with Derrick Henry
NASHVILLE — Any time the Tennessee Titans (0-1) lose a game, running back Derrick Henry's usage rate is going to be discussed. Tennessee dropped their season opener against the New Orleans Saints (1-0) by a score of 16-15 in Tim Kelly's offensive coordinator debut. Henry had only 15 carries on the day. Five carries for […]
NASHVILLE — Any time the Tennessee Titans (0-1) lose a game, running back Derrick Henry's usage rate is going to be discussed. Tennessee dropped their season opener against the New Orleans Saints (1-0) by a score of 16-15 in Tim Kelly's offensive coordinator debut.
Henry had only 15 carries on the day.
Five carries for a total of 12 yards in the second half for a player of that caliber will always draw the ire of fans. Explaining to anyone that the Titans plan was actually more than enough to beat New Orleans is going to be a tough sell, given the success Henry was having against the Saints in the first two quarters. The former First Team All-Pro was averaging 5.1 yards per carry prior to intermission.
Henry's deployment, or lack thereof, was not really an issue at all.
"I thought that (the Titans) did some pretty good things in terms of schematics," said NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell on The Install podcast. "It may not have show up in terms of touchdowns in the score, but I came away thinking 'Okay, I think there is truly something to build on. What did surprise me, the first two plays of the game, I thought (Ryan) Tannehill just was not mentally sharp at all."
Tennessee's quarterback struggled mightily against the Saints.
Tannehill finished the game completing 16-of-34 attempts for 198 yards and three interceptions. Interceptions are one thing. The missed opportunities are entirely another. Sunday's loss at New Orleans was the worst quarterback rating that Tannehill has registered in a single game (28.8). Tennessee's 41-7 road loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2022 had been the previous low (32.7).
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NEW ORLEANS — Quarterback Ryan Tannehill had plenty to prove heading into the final year of his contract with the Tennessee Titans. With not one, but two players drafted behind him as potential replacements and a new general manager at the helm, Tannehill's 2023 season was going to be an interesting watch. 16-of-34 for 198 […]
Kelly will be criticized for rookie Tyjae Spears getting a larger percentage of the team's offensive snaps than Henry did. The reality is that the running backs did more than enough in their respective roles necessary to win the game.
"I don't think it's a new feature of the offense," coach Mike Vrabel said of Henry and Spears' deployment. "We're just trying to get everybody involved and just continue to find ways to get Tyjae (Spears) and Derrick (Henry) in there. Derrick certainly gave us a chance to win and his performance and so did Tyjae. Tried to hit him a few times down the field. Certainly, his average when he carried the football would lend itself to tell us that he has to carry it more and try to continue to find ways to get both of them involved at the same time and same package and whatever it may be."
Tannehill simply needs to execute better when the Titans host the Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) at Nissan Stadium this weekend.
Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.
