The Titans slogged their way to a 6-3 halftime lead over the Jaguars on Sunday before they blew the game open with 31 points in the second half for a 37-13 victory over their AFC South rivals.
Running back DeMarco Murray didn’t have much to do with that explosion. Murray ran two times for three yards in the second half while Derrick Henry scored on his first carry of the third quarter on his way to 12 carries for 87 yards in the final two quarters. After the game, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Murray’s hamstring opened the door for Henry.
"[Henry] came in and had a really big run,” Mularkey said, via the team’s website. “We actually didn’t put the play in until Saturday night. ... Those guys blocked it up front like we wanted. Great run. DeMarco has a tight hamstring, a little bit of a hamstring deal he is dealing with. He came in and did what he is supposed to do – he ran the ball well.”
Murray also dealt with hamstring trouble this summer and any absence during the regular season will give Henry an extended showcase as the lead back in the offense. If Sunday’s results are any indication of how that will go for the Titans, Henry might not need an injury to open the door for him down the stretch this year.