Titans running back Derrick Henry had 434 rushing yards and an average gain of 3.7 yards per carry through the first 12 games of the 2018 season, which wasn’t the kind of progression that you’d like to see from a second-round pick in his third NFL season.
Henry was able to close the season with a flourish, however. He fully broke out for 238 yards in a Week 13 win over the Jaguars and wound up running 97 times for 625 yards over the final four weeks of the season. On Tuesday, new Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said that he hopes the close to last season is a building block to even bigger things in 2019.
“Derrick will be a big part of the offense,” Smith said, via ESPN.com. “He has a rare skill set. Derrick’s a home-run hitter. We are taking another step hopefully with him. What he did over the last five weeks will open up a lot of things.”
Smith said that he’s planning to stick with much of what Matt LaFleur did on offense last season because he thinks continuity will help quarterback Marcus Mariota. A robust running game would be a big help to Mariota as well, so finding a way to get a full season of production from Henry should remain a priority in Tennessee as next season draws closer.