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Is Derrick Henry on the downside of his career?
Week One for the Tennessee Titans was a weird one. Titans RB Tyjae Spears out-snapped Derrick Henry (34-30 snaps). Spears was also on the field for every third down snap as well.
Spears was shockingly on the field more than Derrick Henry, as he played on 54 percent of offensive snaps as opposed to Henry’s 46 percent clip. He carried the ball three times for 27 yards in Sunday’s 16-15 loss to the Saints. He added one reception on four targets for one yard.
The Titans have talked up the rookie’s potential since minicamp, and it’s clear they’ll utilize him in a significant way as a complement to Henry but this was very shocking to see.
Henry was a nonfactor late in the Tennessee Titans’ 16-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints as he only touched the ball three times in the fourth quarter of a one-score game.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that he thinks Henry’s usage was “probably” an outlier based on what fans should expect from the star running back for the rest of the season.
“Everybody (is) making sure that we get into a rhythm and that we figure out things we can do consistently,” Vrabel said. “Derrick will be a huge part of that, I can assure you.”
Henry rushed the ball 15 times for 63 yards. He added two receptions on three targets for 56 yards.
When it came down to it, the biggest issue for the Titans was continuing to call plays that put the ball in Tannehill’s hands on a day when he couldn’t get the job done. Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed just 16 of 34 pass attempts for 198 yards and three interceptions.
It remains to be seen if Spears will continue to see a large workload. he has had injuries in the past. He has torn his right ACL twice. NFL Network reported that he has arthritis and no ACL in his right knee.
The injury questions hurt his draft stock, but he seems determined to show what he can do and he is getting the opportunity to do so.