One more win for the Tennessee team. If they win one more game, they will have the top seed in the playoffs. A home victory against the 4-12 Houston Texans, who have won two of their last three games, will assure the TennesseeTitans of home for the rest of the season.
Injuries have been an issue for the team all season, but their roster has been getting stronger, and they could be as healthy as they have been all year. A.J. Brown is back as Ryan Tannehill's top pass catching target, the entire starting offensive line is healthy, and the defense has bounced back from early season injuries to be a top 10 unit per Football Outside. The balance of power in the AFC could be altered by the return of a player named Derrick Henry.
The best running back in the NFL has not played since the week after the Colts victory, when he injured his ankle and returned to the game. After the game, it was discovered that Henry had a Jones fracture in his right foot that would require surgery. He was out for a long time.
Henry is likely to be available for the playoffs. If he does well in practice, he could play against the Texans on Sunday. He has 21 days to get back onto the field. It is not a guarantee that King Henry will play this season, but he is definitely ready to play.
If Henry feels good, he will want to play on Sunday, but he should be held out until the playoffs. The top seed in the playoffs is at stake, so if the Titans want to have any chance of winning it, they need to knock off a 4-12 team at home. It will give Henry a full 21-day period for more recovery and practice time to be ready for a home divisional game.
Henry has received praise, awards, and a handsome contract in recent years, but he hasn't received a lot of rest. In the last two seasons, he had totaled nearly 400 carries. Henry was on his way to another 400 carry regular season in 2021. He carried the ball through eight games of the season.
Henry could jump straight to the divisional round with only 219 carries, and nearly three months of rest. The defense in Nashville has to deal with that big man on a Sunday.
Tannehill has shown that he can be the quarterback to lead the team to the Super Bowl, but he needs a full cavalry behind him and his cannon ball, Henry. They need to rest Henry more in the future. He has had enough rest this season. He needs to be launched into opposing fronts 40 times per game in the playoffs by the healthy offensive line.
With the return of Henry, some well-timed play-action to A.J. Brown, and a strong showing from their own defense, theTitans might be the team that finally separates itself from the rest of the AFC.
