{"id":153231,"date":"2022-12-09T22:19:06","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T22:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bills-chiefs-or-dolphins-why-is-derrick-henry-slumping\/"},"modified":"2022-12-09T22:19:06","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T22:19:06","slug":"bills-chiefs-or-dolphins-why-is-derrick-henry-slumping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bills-chiefs-or-dolphins-why-is-derrick-henry-slumping\/","title":{"rendered":"Bills, Chiefs or Dolphins? Why is Derrick Henry slumping?"},"content":{"rendered":"
For the past few seasons, Derrick Henry has been one of the most feared runners in football. He led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020, and he put up nearly 1,000 yards in 2021 despite being limited to just eight games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Henry was as productive as ever earlier this year, topping 100 rushing yards in five straight games in October\/November. But based on more recent history, it appears the league has finally figured out a way to slow down the seventh-year pro. Over the Titans’ past four contests, Henry has averaged just 52 yards per outing. He’s averaging a scant 2.8 yards per carry during the slump, seemingly running into a brick wall on every rushing attempt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
We have seen Henry experience similar slumps in the past, but it’s rare for the 6-foot-3 247-pounder to fail to crack the 40-yard mark in back-to-back games, as he did in Weeks 12 and 13. Whether facing stacked boxes or unusual defensive fronts designed to clog the running lanes at the point of attack, the veteran has always found a way to power through the muck and move the chains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
To put up the ridiculous numbers Henry has amassed in his career, a running back must<\/em> be able to overcome “plus-one” boxes and five-man lines. That’s what makes one element of his current struggles so surprising: Henry has seen an uptick<\/em> in light boxes (six or fewer defenders) and a decrease<\/em> in loaded boxes (more defenders than blockers) in recent weeks. According to Next Gen Stats, Henry has faced light boxes on 25.3 percent of snaps in Weeks 10-13, compared to 21.9 percent in his first eight games of the season. And opponents have trotted out loaded boxes on just 29.3 percent of the Titans’ offensive snaps during Weeks 10-13, compared to 36.6 percent utilization in Weeks 1-9.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Those trends buck conventional wisdom when it comes to defending a top-notch running game. But the Titans’ injury woes and a lack of dependable perimeter weapons offer some hints as to what’s going on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The offensive line has been a revolving door, with bruised and battered players moving in and out of the lineup each week. Tennessee lost left tackle Taylor Lewan for the season in Week 2, while center Ben Jones and right guard Nate Davis have missed time due to various weapons, leading the Titans to reshuffle the O-line deck so many times that it’s hard to remember which quintet comprises a starting lineup. Tennessee has been pummeled at the point of attack by ultra-physical defensive lines, without opponents having to commit extra defenders to the box. Henry has been unable to get started on his runs, due to the constant penetration and disruption in the backfield.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the past few seasons, Derrick Henry has been one of the most feared runners in football. He led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020, and he put up nearly 1,000 yards in 2021 despite being limited to just eight games. Henry was as productive as ever earlier this year, …<\/p>\n