Henry represents Titans’best chance at upset ... Shady sheds walking boot but unlikely to be 100% if he plays ... Shazier’s dad offers positive news ... On days like this, do you really want to be a Patriot?
For the Tennessee Titans, it’s “G-Oh Henry!” time. With DeMarco Murray being ruled out for Saturday’s wild-card weekend opener against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a lingering knee injury, the Titans will need a superlative performance from former Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry to pull off the upset.
Henry was largely ineffective in his debut as a starter against the staunch Jacksonville Jaguars defence last Sunday, carrying the ball 28 times for 51 yards. But he also scored a 66-yard touchdown off a screen pass in the 15-10 playoff-clinching win.
It was his third 60-plus yard major of the season.
“I didn’t feel like a workhorse back. I kind of felt soft,” Henry, a 24-year old with two seasons of Murray’s backup under his belt, told The Tennessean. “I wasn’t really happy about my game at all. It hasn’t left my mind since the clock hit zero ... I just felt like I didn’t run like myself. I wasn’t really happy. I could say other words, but I’ve got to play better.”
The Chiefs will be the very popular choice to walk away with this one. After a mid-season swoon, they rediscovered their early form by winning their last five games. Their offence is again clicking on all cylinders, and while Alex Smith was rested last Sunday,
Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s rushing king, was sat down after just one 35-yard carry.
The Titans lost three consecutive games in December and are the only playoff team with a negative turnover differential at minus-4. They finished 9-7 and are still alive because they reside in the same division as the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.
And then there’s the Arrowhead factor. The Chiefs are always tough at home and this season (6-2) was no exception. But K.C.’s defence is not Jacksonville’s. Almost the opposite, in fact. It is weak, ranking 28th on the season. Only seven teams gave up more rushing yards per game than the 118.1 the Chiefs allowed. Henry, a 6-foot-3, 247-pounder, has the ability and size to run wild at Arrowhead. If he does, the Titans can pull off the upset of wild-card weekend. Keep that in mind when you’re making your playoff pool picks.
SHADY’S BACK ... SORT OF
Bills running back LeSean (Shady) McCoy removed his walking boot and dressed for the team practice Thursday, but he didn’t do much other than stretch. McCoy is expected to play against the Jaguars