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What’s to blame for Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry’s rushing struggles? Not just one thing

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What’s to blame for Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry’s rushing struggles? Not just one thing


The Tennessee Titans want Derrick Henry touching the ball more. Henry just wants to make the most of the touches he’s getting.

“I think efficiency has been my main focus this week, trying to get the most out of a play that I can when the ball’s in my hands,” he said Wednesday. “Not really worried about the touches but, when I get the ball, it’s being efficient.”

Henry’s numbers have taken a dip in the Titans’ past two games. He has rushed 21 times for 64 yards, good for an average of just 2.95 yards per carry. This comes after he averaged 5.35 yards in the three games before that and 4.76 yards per carry for his career going into this season. This two-game stretch is just the second time since 2019 that Henry has been held below 40 rushing yards in consecutive games.

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Ask Henry what’s going wrong and he’ll say he needs to do more. Rookie running back Tyjae Spears says the same about his own output. No matter how much flak the offensive line takes, the running backs believe its their job to make more plays. If an offensive lineman catches criticism for missing a block, a running back also should face criticism for failing to make a defender miss in space.

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“When they give us one guy, we’ve got to make the most of it and hit the home run,” Spears said. “I’ve got 1-on-1 opportunities a lot of times. Made the guy miss and somebody else got me or I just didn’t make the guy miss. I’ve got to be better for them. We always want to sit around and point the finger to the O-line, but they’ve got me 1-on-1 a lot this year and I failed them. That’s how you be efficient. Win your 1-on-1 battles.”

Are the holes there?

Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said Wednesday that he thinks the offensive line has done a good job of consistently opening holes for Henry. Running backs coach Justin Outten, contrastingly, said space for Henry has been limited.

A quick rewatch of Sunday’s loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars supports Outten’s claim a little more than Kelly’s. Henry and Spears combined to carry 14 times for 52 yards. A Jaguars defender made first contact with Henry or Spears within two yards of the line of scrimmage on 11 of those 14 rushes, and the duo combined to gain 34 of their 52 yards after contact, or roughly two-thirds.

There were at least three instances where either Henry or Spears could have made the first defender miss to get upfield for more yardage and didn’t, but two of those three situations came inside the tackle box, versus just one that happened in space on the perimeter.

“Those are some of the breakdowns that occurred the last couple of weeks that we’re trying to minimize,” Outten said. “Whether it’s a mental error or a lack of communication. Usually we’re not planning on those situations. Usually when you see them on the edge 1-on-1, that’s usually a designed play. But interior we try to prevent that.”

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What’s going on up front?

Offensive line changes are sure to come again before the Titans host the Carolina Panthers (1-9) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, FOX). Rookie Jaelyn Duncan and third-year tackle Dillon Radunz have swapped sides this week, with Duncan playing on the left and Radunz on the right.

Titans coaches have raved about Duncan’s steady improvement, and he’s in position to compete for his first NFL start, depending on if Andre Dillard clears concussion protocol and/or can win the job back over Duncan after struggling the first half of the season.

If Duncan starts, he’ll become the ninth Titans lineman to start a game this season. Most of the focus on the offensive line struggles has been concentrated on pass protection. But the Titans’ rushing offense has slipped to 19th in yards per game after ranking 13th last season and top five each of the three years before that.

Consistency up front and from the backs will be paramount as the Titans try to correct these issues for the final seven games of the season.

“Just continue to really lean on our proven players,” Kelly said when asked what he wants to do better as a play-caller. “Continuing to lean on Derrick. He’s a great player. Has been for a really long time. It’s continuing to give him opportunities to keep us on track and make a big play for us.”

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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nickusss.



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Tennessee

Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets

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Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets


Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel remains a hot name, and he may have another head-coaching job as soon as next season.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently named a bunch of potential candidates for the New York Jets job in 2025, and Vrabel was at the top of his list.

“Mike Vrabel makes the most sense to me, mostly because he won’t stand down to an owner, and that’s exactly what the New York Jets need,” Breer wrote.

The problem with that is Jets owner Woody Johnson is known to be a meddler, so he a Vrabel-Johnson partnership may never actually come to fruition.

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Still, Vrabel could end up being a perfect fit for the Jets from a stylistic perspective given that New York is built upon a strong defense.

It’s not the first time that Vrabel has been linked to Gang Green, either.

Vrabel actually did a very solid job during his time with the Titans, going 54-45 while making three playoff appearances—including a pair of AFC South titles—across five seasons.

Things went south over Vrabel’s final two years in Tennessee, with the Titans going just 13-21 during that span. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the problem was not with Vrabel.

Vrabel is currently serving as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns, but it seems like only a matter of time before he lands a better job elsewhere.

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The 49-year-old also had a 14-year NFL playing career from 1997 through 2010, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and also made a Pro Bowl with the squad in 2007.

The Jets have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season, as they are just 3-8 in spite of having one of the most star-studded rosters in the sport.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!



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Tennessee man convicted for Jan. 6 riot found guilty of plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him

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Tennessee man convicted for Jan. 6 riot found guilty of plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him


A Jan. 6 rioter who breached the U.S. Capitol was convicted of trying to have law enforcement personnel, including the FBI agents and employees who were investigating him, murdered, the Justice Department said Wednesday. 

Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, who was convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers and other crimes during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat.

The jury agreed on a verdict after an hour of deliberation following the three-day trial, WBIR-TV reported.

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Jan. 6 rioter Edward Kelley seen at the U.S. Capitol. Kelley was convicted this week of plotting to kill the FBI agents who investigated him.  (Justice Department)

Federal prosecutors at his trial in Knoxville, Tennessee, said Kelly developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6 while awaiting trial for his involvement in the Capitol riot. 

He distributed the list, as well as videos containing images of FBI employees identified on the list, to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission,” authorities said.

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Capitol riot

A scene from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Kelley’s co-defendant Austin Carter, who pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to kill FBI agents and is awaiting sentencing, testified that Kelly said he needed to “take out” the FBI. He said that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI Field Office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. 

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He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.

Edward Kelley inside the Capitol

Edward Kelley inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  (Justice Department)

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Recording introduced by prosecutors showed Kelley directing the plan, and giving instructions to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. He was also recorded stating: “Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt,” authorities said. 

Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025. He faces up to life in prison. 



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How Tennessee Makes The College Football Playoff

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How Tennessee Makes The College Football Playoff


The Tennessee Volunteers are currently ranked 11th on the latest College Football Playoff rankings. However, because of automatic bids, if the College Football Playoff rankings were finalized today, Tennessee is the first team out, overlooked by the Big 12 champ and Boise State. Now, good news for the (10-2) Tennessee Volunteers, there’s still a way for them to make the CFP. Though, there are going to need some help.

Note: ESPN’s CFP Prediction Machine gives Tennessee an 88% chance to make the CFP if they simply win out.

Any regular season loss by a (2) loss SEC Team
Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia all share a two-loss record at this point in the season, and though Tennessee has a head-to-head win over Alabama, their pair of losses (Arkansas and Georgia) is deemed worse by the committee at this point in the rankings. Any loss by any of those three team would likely free Tennessee up for a entrance to the playoff.

Indiana Is Destroyed by Ohio State
Indiana is a threat to Tennessee at this point, and would be even at an (11-1) record with a presumed loss this weekend to Ohio State. However, if Indiana is blown out in the contest, they will more than likely drop behind Tennessee who has just UTEP and Vanderbilt left on the schedule. Indiana has one top-25 opponent all season, this weekend at Ohio State, if they are walked off the field, it will open Tennessee’s door.

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Notre Dame Loses to Army or USC
It’s a long shot, Notre Dame is a heavy favorite in both football games… as they were against Northern Illinois — the 8th ranked team in the MAC. If Notre Dame were to drop another football game over the next two weeks, there’s a likelihood that Tennessee gets in the playoff.

Texas A&M Loses to Texas
If Texas A&M wins out, and has a top-3 win over the Texas Longhorns to end the regular season and goes onto the SEC Championship game, the committee has shown they have tremendous amounts of recency bias. A win-out situation for Texas A&M is something that the Vols should hope to avoid.

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.



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