Having Derrick Henry on the field makes the Titans a more dangerous team, no matter if he is 100% or not.
The Bengals will have to account for him anytime he is in the huddle. If I was the Bengals, though, reading this medical report, I think I would gamble Henry isn’t 100% and try to make Ryan Tannehill beat me.
Instead of those eight-man boxes, I might go to a six-man box at least early on to see if Henry has any burst. If he doesn’t, they can play coverage and see if Tannehill has the goods to beat them when the running game isn’t clicking.
Here is what Henry will be dealing with during the game.
Derrick Henry is back, officially activated and set to start Saturday for the Tennessee Titans. Take out the hoopla of one of the NFL’s best players making a dramatic return for the playoffs, and the King will be essentially back to normal in the Divisional Round versus the Bengals.
With one minor exception: “I have a big steel plate in my foot,” Henry said this week.
That’s right. The player who was an MVP candidate before breaking the fifth metatarsal in his foot and having surgery had a steel plate inserted into his foot. That’s not all.
Henry is also expected to play this weekend with a metal plate in his shoe, similar to those that players who have turf toe wear. Added protection.
This is not counting the five screws in his foot as well.
I look for Henry to start off strong because of the adrenaline, but the Titans will need an outstanding performance from D’Onta Foreman, who has been excellent in Henry’s absence and is fully healthy coming into the game.
Flip the page for some of Henry’s practice videos since he has gotten back.