NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was another day at the office for Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Henry’s 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns helped the underdog Titans to a 34-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills, whose defense was allowing 75 yards rushing per game entering this week.
Henry surpassed 100 yards rushing for the fifth straight game. It’s the third time this season he finished with at least three touchdowns in a game. Henry now has 10 touchdowns on the ground, which ties him with former running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Priest Holmes for the second-most rushing touchdowns through the first six games of the season.
The Titans are 5-0 when Henry runs for three or more touchdowns.
“We continue to jump on Derrick’s back and he’s willing and able to carry us,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “It’s something that you know that you have in your back pocket, your front pocket and you can use it. He gave us a big shot right there.”
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Buffalo tried unsuccessfully to stop Henry by stacking eight in the box. That opened up the play-action passing game for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who found A.J. Brown seven times for 91 yards — his best game of the season.
“I just love to come out here and try to be the best player and teammate I can,” Henry said. “Come out here and try to take advantage of my opportunities and make plays for this team. Whatever I can do to help us win, I am willing to do.”
There were seven lead changes in the game, a Monday Night Football record. Tennessee took its final advantage on a 13-yard touchdown run by Henry. Buffalo got the ball and drove to Tennessee’s 3-yard line facing a fourth-and-1. Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons blew up a quarterback sneak by the Bills’ Josh Allen to cause the turnover on downs and seal the win for the Titans.
Pivotal play: A Tannehill interception set up a second Bills field goal to make the score 6-0. Up until that point, the offense was sputtering, having gained 29 yards in its first three drives.
Henry took a handoff on the first play of the next series and scooted 76 yards for a touchdown that put the Titans ahead 7-6. The score kick-started the offense.
“With Derrick in the backfield, you know, you do a little extra on every play,” Titans center Ben Jones said. “You never know which play it’s going to be in the game that he breaks it. That play definitely brought a spark to us and it definitely made the defense say, ‘Hey, we have to stop him here.’”
Eye-popping NextGen stat: Henry reached 21.8 mph on his 76-yard touchdown run. That is the fastest speed registered by any ball carrier this season.
Bold prediction for next week: The Titans will find themselves in another shootout against the Kansas City Chiefs. This time they will come out on top thanks to explosive plays in the passing game against a Chiefs defense that has allowed eight completions of 40 yards or more, which is the most in the NFL.