Tennessee Titans: The Titans' Path to an AFC South Title Without Derrick Henry
The Tennessee Titans could lose star RB Derrick Henry for the rest of the season due to a significant foot injury, which would be a major blow for the team's offense. It shouldn't, however, be a blow for the team's chances of winning the AFC South. By beating Indianapolis on Sunday, the Titans took a […]
The Tennessee Titans could lose star RB Derrick Henry for the rest of the season due to a significant foot injury, which would be a major blow for the team's offense.
It shouldn't, however, be a blow for the team's chances of winning the AFC South.
By beating Indianapolis on Sunday, the Titans took a three-game lead in the division and secured a tiebreaker over the Colts.
As things currently stand, the Titans have a 98% chance to finish the 2021 season atop the AFC South, according to the New York Times' playoff predictor tool.
Those odds are pretty darn good, even if Henry is sidelined for the rest of the regular season.
With the middling Colts being, basically, 3.5 games behind the Titans' lead in the division⏤in addition to Jacksonville and Houston being patently terrible⏤the Titans would, essentially, have to spontaneously combust to not win their division and host a playoff game.
If the Titans were to even win just four of their remaining nine games, the Colts would need an 8-1 finish to the season to win the AFC South.
As long as they've still got Carson Wentz, one of the NFL's most erratic and reckless players, as their quarterback, the Colts won't be going on a streak like that.
It's also a safe bet that the Titans will indeed win at least four more games in 2021, since they get to play Houston twice, Jacksonville at home and Miami at home.
The Titans also have enough non-Henry offensive firepower to keep their ship afloat and not take some kind of nosedive.
Henry is the Titans' best player, and losing him will hurt. It's not going to end their season, though.
Cover image: Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today
