The Tennessee Titans were dealt a crushing blow earlier this week with the injury diagnosis to All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.
He suffered an injury to his fifth metatarsal in his foot, which has led many to speculate that he is dealing with the dreaded Jones fracture.
Whether this will end Henry’s season remains to be seen, but it seems like a good bet that he’ll miss at least two months of action.
The former Heisman Trophy winner underwent surgery on Tuesday morning.
This leaves the Titans in an interesting spot.
They were a team whose identity was forged by Henry’s bruising rushing style.
Their ability to control the clock gave them a blueprint for winning games week in and week out.
Tennessee still has a lot of time to figure out how they will replace Henry, but they’ve already brought in future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson, who figures to absorb some early-down snaps.
While Henry’s injury definitely is a setback, it might not be a death knell for Tennessee, and here are three reasons why.
3. Ryan Tannehill’s Ascension
A couple of short years ago, most folks would’ve looked sideways at the notion that Ryan Tannehill could lead a passing attack worthy enough of keeping a team afloat.
But given his performance since taking over as the starter for the Titans midway through the 2019 campaign, Tannehill has done enough to prove that he’s viable enough to keep his team in games.
It’ll be interesting to see how he performs without the crutch of Henry’s 20-30 touches per game, but he’ll likely do just fine.
The former college wide receiver may utilize his legs more in RPO type of scenarios in the Titans offense, and his athleticism will help his cause in order to keep the chains moving.
Plus, he has one of the best young wide receivers in the game in A.J. Brown, who has become a star without another consistent passing threat on the field (since Julio Jones has not been able to remain on the field).
Just Ryan Tannehill trying to do an interview while his @Titans teammates celebrate their OT win against the Colts 😂
🎤 @SperoDedes & @jayfeely pic.twitter.com/Jy2f4gDiwX
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 31, 2021
2. Tennessee’s Offensive Line
Conventional wisdom would lead fans to believe that the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry has been shredding tacklers left and right due to his massive frame.
It’s an easy narrative to follow, and it’s largely true since Henry is one of the most difficult players to square up and bring down in the NFL.
The mammoth human being nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in half a season, as he had 937 ground yards to his name before going down.
But the Titans offensive line deserves a ton of credit this year for establishing control at the line of scrimmage, and giving Henry room to operate.
Henry leads the league in rushing yards, and rushing yards before contact.
In fact, nearly half of his production on the ground (450 yards) has been gained before a defender laid a finger on him.
Whether Peterson, Jeremy McNichols, or other backs are tasked with replacing Henry, having clear rushing lanes should help keep their attack on schedule.
Welcome @AdrianPeterson to Tennessee!
Adrian Peterson’s Greatest Plays | @nflthrowback pic.twitter.com/3iG4KBieKQ
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 2, 2021
1. The AFC South
The Titans are currently 6-2, and sit in a comfortable position in the AFC, and perhaps more relevantly, in the AFC South.
The Indianapolis Colts, whom they just defeated on Sunday, are 3-5, and are second in the division.
A three-game lead in the loss column, plus a season series sweep of Indianapolis has Tennessee in an advantageous position to say the least.
While they have a stiff road test coming up in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams, they still have three games remaining against division foes, plus a game against the struggling Miami Dolphins.
They’ll have time to workshop some things and figure out how they want to play without Henry, and their current division lead keeps a deep January and February run in play.
NEXT: Adrian Peterson Looking For A Great Final Act