Replacing injured running back Derrick Henry won’t be easy task for Titans – Tennessee Titans Blog

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans’ 34-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday gave them a three-game lead in the AFC South and the best record in the conference. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Titans had a 97% chance to win the division as of yesterday.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The Titans received news running back Derrick Henry suffered a severe foot injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Henry is scheduled to get an MRI on Monday. The fear is Henry suffered a Jones fracture and may need season-ending surgery on his right foot.

“There’s no player in the league that means more to his football team than Derrick Henry,” ESPN NFL analyst Rex Ryan said. “This is the biggest loss you can have. It takes them from being in the one or two best teams in the AFC. They ain’t going nowhere without him.”

The injury occurred in the first quarter. Team trainers looked at his foot, but Henry came back in and finished with 29 carries for 68 yards.

The Titans pulled off a close win over the Colts despite Henry not having the same explosiveness when carrying the football. That was in large part thanks to A.J. Brown’s 10 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Henry fell short of the 100-yard rushing plateau in the last two Titans victories. But continuing to win won’t be easy without Henry, whose 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns lead the NFL.

Since 2019, the Titans are 18-3 when Henry rushes for 100 or more yards and 8-10 when he doesn’t hit that mark.

Derrick Henry has made up for 79.3% of the teams rushing yards so far this season (937 rush yds). https://t.co/dmJ2NCNegZ pic.twitter.com/x4Pox14cBM

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 1, 2021

Brown has caught 25 of the 29 targets from quarterback Ryan Tannehill over the past three games, resulting in 379 yards and two touchdowns.

The…