In this video I explain why Derrick Henry is not responsible for the Titans losing to the Chiefs

Ever since last weekend, I have seen a lot on social media about how Derrick Henry is the reason the Titans lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. I’ve reached out to people that have made this claim to share my opposition, but they seem to remain adamant about their opinion. Henry obviously didn’t run the ball like there was no defense on the field, as he did against the Patriots and the Ravens the two weeks prior, but he did not have a bad game.

In Tennessee’s first upset against the defending Super Bowl champs the runaway freight train ran the ball a whopping 34 times, his most carries in a single game all year. He was averaging 5.4 yards per carry that game and was making the New England defense look like no other team has made them look this year. He ended the game with 182 rushing yards and a TD. The following week against Baltimore, who were favored by many to win the Super Bowl, he did what Derrick Henry does. He ran the ball another 30 times resulting in 195 yards. For the second week in a row the league’s leading rusher made a mockery of an elite defense that had established itself as one of the best in the league. King Henry put the team on his back and carried them to the AFC Championship game.

Going into this game every person in that stadium, as well as the people sitting and watching at home, knew exactly how the Titans game plan was prepared. Give the ball to Derrick Henry. The Chiefs run defense had not been all that reliable this season, so they knew they would have to kick it into a new gear if they wanted to stop that man. Both teams that Tennessee had to get through to earn a spot in the AFC Championship game, had far better regular season defenses than the Chiefs. So how would this match-up play out for both sides?

What proceeded to happen was not something I saw coming. It was not the Kansas City defense that shut down Henry, but it was actually the Chiefs offense that shut him down. How is that even possible? How can one offense shut down that of an opponent? Let me explain.

The Titans found themselves behind heading into the second half, after a last ditch 27 yard touchdown scramble from Mahomes right before half time. This was the first time during their playoff run that Tennessee was facing a deficit, so now their game plan has to change. The Chiefs offense forced the ball into the hands of Ryan Tannehill, who up until this point hasn’t had to do much other than hand the ball off to Derrick Henry every play. Forcing the ball into his hands was the perfect move for the Chiefs, and one that ultimately won them the game.

What made Henry so effective all year long was his ability to perform in the second half of football games. Here are the kings first and second half stats during the regular season this year:

– 1st Half: 132 Attempts – 543 Yards – 2 TDs – 4.1 Avg

– 2nd Half: 171 Attempts – 997 Yards – 14 TDs – 5.8 Avg

Just by simply looking at the numbers, you can see that Henry is utterly dominant in the second half of games. What was so different about the game against Kansas City is that he barely got to touch the ball in the second half. Because they were playing from behind, the Titans only ran three run plays with Henry after half time. King Henry couldn’t do what King Henry does.

Is the Chiefs defense to credit for this game? They definitely deserve some props, but they didn’t have the same challenge of the teams that came before them. The Chiefs offense managed to shut down the Titans offense, and that is how they won the game. Derrick Henry does not deserve the blame when he simply didn’t have the chance to do what he does best.