Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

SPORTS A21
Friday 12 January 2018

Titans’ Henry looks to build on postseason debut vs Patriots

By TERESA M. WALKER In this Jan. 6, 2018, file photo, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) evades a tackle by Kansas City Chiefs free safety
AP Pro Football Writer Ron Parker (38) during an NFL wild-card playoff game in Kansas City.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —
Derrick Henry isn’t a big or Associatted Press
brash talker. That’s what
made the 2015 Heisman and break tackles, he’s a “He saw some of the things season game. best.
Trophy winner calling his tough runner, he can get that he missed by trying to Henry also had 85 yards in Only the Chiefs’ Kareem
performance “kind of soft” tough runs. bounce some things,” Titans the fourth quarter, includ- Hunt had more yards rush-
in Tennessee’s regular-sea- But, he’s very athletic in coach Mike Mularkey said. ing a 35-yard touchdown ing (474) in the NFL in the
son finale stand out. the open field. He’s fast, he “He’s had a lot of success , for the NFL’s third-best fourth quarter this season
The massive running back can cut back, he can get bouncing some runs, but rushing performance in the than Henry (390), who av-
sure made up for that with to space. He’s broken off at some point you’ve got fourth quarter of a playoff eraged a league-best 6.09
an NFL postseason debut a lot of long runs, running to hit some of these holes game since the 1991 sea- yards per carry over the fi-
for the record books. plays, screens.” that are there, and they’re son. Only LeGarrette Blount nal 15 minutes.
Getting Henry to acknowl- Against Jacksonville on not big all the time. I think (114 yards for the Patriots vs. Patriots defensive coor-
edge any change in his Dec. 31, Henry made up he saw that, and obviously the Colts on Jan. 11, 2014) dinator Matt Patricia says
own confidence or being for a rough day running by he’s a quick, fast learner.” and Derek Loville (97 yards Henry is powerful with a
pleased after a big game is taking a screen 66 yards for The second-year running for the Broncos against the dangerous stiff-arm.
as tough as tackling him in a touchdown . But his first back out of Alabama Jaguars on Dec. 27, 1997) “If it’s a one-on-one tack-
the open field. three carries went back- bounced back with a ca- have been better in that ling situation, it’s extremely
“I’m just trying to play bet- ward, including a 12-yard reer-high 156 yards, just shy span. difficult to get him down
ter every week,” Henry said loss that came dangerously of Eddie George’s fran- Finishing is what the 6-foot- in that instance,” Patricia
. “I’m going to get another close to a safety. chise-record 162 in a post- 3, 247-pound Henry does said.q
chance to play — it’s a
great team in a good en-
vironment — so just making
sure I’m doing all the right
things this week.”
Henry rebounded from a
game in which he ran for
51 yards by setting a fran-
chise playoff record with
191 yards from scrimmage,
helping the Titans rally for a
22-21 victory over Kansas
City in the wild-card round.
He topped the previous
mark set by Billy Cannon in
January 1961 with the best
performance by a running
back in the playoffs in at
least a decade.
Now it’s up to Bill Belichick
and the defending Super
Bowl champion Patriots (13-
3) to slow down Henry on
Saturday night in their AFC
divisional game. Belichick
says everyone on defense
has to do his job.
“Henry has got a ton of skill,
and he’s got power, good
vision,” Belichick said. “He
can certainly run inside