Titans battle the Jaguars
Derrick Henry rushed for four touchdowns, including a 99-yard scoring run, as the Tennessee Titans crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-9, in Thursday night football.
Derrick Henry sped and stiff-armed his way to a record-tying 99-yard touchdown run and the Tennessee Titans routed the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-9 on Thursday night to stay in the playoff chase.
And that was just part of an amazing night for Henry.
Henry tied Tony Dorsett’s 99-yarder on Jan. 3, 1983, for Dallas against Minnesota for the longest TD run in NFL history. Henry ran to his left and ran up the sideline, stiff-arming first Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye, then rookie linebacker Leon Jacobs twice and finally a shove to linebacker Myles Jack to finish off the TD.
The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, celebrated by striking the Heisman pose not once, but twice.
Henry set a franchise record with 238 yards on just 16 carries, topping the previous mark of 228 yards set by Chris Johnson in 2009 against yes, the Jaguars.
Henry finished with a career-high four TDs, tying Lorenzo White and Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell for most rushing TDs in a single game in franchise history. Henry also became the first player in the NFL with four rushing TDs in a game since Jonas Gray of the Patriots in Week 11 in 2014.
With the rout and second win in a row, the Titans (7-6) stayed in AFC playoff contention with their fourth straight victory over their oldest division rival. They’ve won six of their last seven against Jacksonville.
The Jaguars (4-9) have lost eight of their last nine.
Former NFL players planning new spring league
Ricky Williams is among 50 former NFL players planning yet another professional football league, the Freedom Football League.
Williams says a 10-team league that also includes Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens and approximately 100 stakeholders will be launched as a spring league. The Alliance of American Football, cofounded by Hall of Famer Bill Polian, starts up in February. The XFL will return the following February.
The FFL, which did not specify what year it would begin play, would be financed by private funding and public offerings, with league players, local franchise operators and even fans offered stakes in the teams.
Avoiding some major markets, the FFL plans to have clubs in San Diego, Oakland, St. Louis, Birmingham (Alabama), Oklahoma City, Portland (Oregon), plus in Texas, Florida, Ohio and Connecticut.
McCarthy returns to Packers to say goodbye
Fired shortly after Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the team he coached for most of the past 13 seasons.
On Wednesday, he got his chance. Interim coach Joe Philbin allowed McCarthy back into Lambeau Field to speak to the team, and the players bid him farewell with a standing ovation.
“He held it together as much as you can,” thirdyear defensive tackle Kenny Clark said on Thursday.
“It was emotional. It was emotional for all of us. Mike came in, and we were surprised he was even coming in. Seeing him, gave him a round of applause and thanked him. He was emotional about it, we were all emotional about it.”
Giants place Pro Bowl safety on IR
The New York Giants have placed two-time Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Collins was hurt Sunday against the Chicago Bears and will need surgery to repair a partially torn labrum.
The Giants signed defensive back Kenny Ladler off their practice squad to fill the roster spot.