Derrick Henry exceeds 2,000 racing yards while Tennessee Titans secures the AFC South championship

Few running backs have been as dominant as Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans for the past two seasons. Henry provided more evidence on Sunday, when he passed 2,000 running yards in the season in the Titans’ 41-38 victory over the Houston Texans.

On a long trip in the fourth period, Henry reached 227 running yards – exceeding the mark. He finished 250 yards and two touchdowns in 34 races in victory, giving Tennessee the AFC South title for the first time since 2008.

“I’m happy that we managed to finish with a W at the end,” said Henry. “We won as a team and we all do it together. I’m very happy that we managed to win this and win the division and reach the playoffs.”

Henry ended the season as a triple crown winner by leading all NFL running backs in yards (2,027), attempts (378) and touchdowns (17).

Henry’s 250-yard performance surpassed his franchise record of 238 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. He had over 200 yards run for the third consecutive game against the Texans, making him the only player in NFL history to do so. .

Henry is the eighth player in the 2,000-yard club, joining OJ Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson. And the Titans are the only NFL franchise to have two players (Johnson in 2009 was the other) who have run for 2,000 yards in one season.

Peterson was the most recent to do so when he raised 2,097 in 2012.

“He’s definitely showing that it’s the next best thing. When you’re Derrick Henry, the teams are coming and they’re focused on stopping you. That makes it all the more impressive,” said Peterson last month.

The 1.80m back and £ 247 joined Davis as the only players to have at least 1,900 run yards and 15 run touchdowns in one season.

Henry also joined Tiki Barber (New York Giants 2005, 2006) as the only NFL player to finish 200-yard racing games in consecutive season finals.

The Titans will now host the Baltimore Ravens at the Nissan Stadium on Sunday at 1:05 pm ET. Baltimore has the NFL’s No. 10 race defense, allowing 106 yards per game. The Titans beat the Ravens 30-24 thanks to a 29-yard touchdown executed by Henry in overtime for Week 11.

Henry carried the ball 30 times for 195 yards in Tennessee’s 28-12 victory over Baltimore in the divisional playoff round last season. The Titans will need another big performance from Henry in Sunday’s fight.