Thoughts on Derrick Henry and the running game

[Legaltitan]

3 minutes ago, oldschool said:

You weren't a fan prior to the organization coming to Nashville were you?

What difference does that make?

 

The longest current debate on this board has been Oman's bet and his trashing of Henry. And that is his avatar. And we have been poking fun at oman since Thursday's game. Other than scribbling "Oilerman" on the players, I'm not sure how much more obvious he could have made it.

[oldschool]

34 minutes ago, Legaltitan said:

What difference does that make?

 

The longest current debate on this board has been Oman's bet and his trashing of Henry. And that is his avatar. And we have been poking fun at oman since Thursday's game. Other than scribbling "Oilerman" on the players, I'm not sure how much more obvious he could have made it.

whoosh.... If you don't understand the Oilers emblem means something other than Oilerman to Oilers fan you can't be helped.

[big2033]

1 hour ago, Mythos27 said:

Yeah Henry clearly sucks at screens and can't change direction;

 

This is part of the problem. You guys fall in love with seeing him run.

[cenj]

I've been a Henry critic, but yea -- I'm a big fan of watching Henry run. Or catch the ball and run. Making a cut upfield and being able to turn a good hole into a 70/80/99 yard TD is pretty valuable.

 

And no, not just any RB can do that. That's a major threat that teams have to account for. If Henry keeps running the way he has the last few weeks, then defenses will adjust. But then the playaction game with Davis and Taylor should be even more dangerous.

Edited December 10, 2018 by cenj

[japan]

1 hour ago, Mythos27 said:

Yeah Henry clearly sucks at screens and can't change direction;

 

Too bad we can't find videos of all the screens to him where he just picks up a couple of yards because of his slow transition.  They don't usually keep those accessible on the internet.

[Mythos27]

1 hour ago, oldschool said:

in fairness he didn't really change direction. He caught the ball and turned up field. This speaks to the exact point big is making.

It's not a full 180 turn or anything but he definitely makes a nice cut behind Spain after pressing the outside and makes Bouye look silly because he couldn't change direction fast enough to make the tackle. 

Edited December 10, 2018 by Mythos27

[Mythos27]

8 minutes ago, japan said:

Too bad we can't find videos of all the screens to him where he just picks up a couple of yards because of his slow transition.  They don't usually keep those accessible on the internet.

Usually when a screen fails it's because it wasn't properly blocked, the D sniffed it out, bad throw etc. Well-timed screens that are also well blocked almost always go for a decent gain regardless of who the back is so Henry getting 20-30 on a screen isn't all that special. The difference with guys like Henry and CJ is that they turn what would like be a 20-30 yard gain by most backs into a 70 yard house call. Look, you can spend your whole life focusing on a guys short-comings and what you think he can't do OR you can focus on their strengths, figure out what they do, and put them in the best position to execute. That's why the Pats were able to make Lewis look like a world-beater and are currently doing similar things with James White. Focus on your players strengths and accentuate them.

[Legaltitan]

1 hour ago, oldschool said:

whoosh.... If you don't understand the Oilers emblem means something other than Oilerman to Oilers fan you can't be helped.

I am aware that is a picture of a helmet that was once used by the Oilers.

 

lol at whoosh nevermind it doesn't matter carry on

[begooode]

2 hours ago, Legaltitan said:

I don't even really disagree with Oman's analysis but this is an instant classic.

Same campy feel as the photoshop of Pac at the Vegas scrip club his boy shot up

[cenj]

2 hours ago, oldschool said:

in fairness he didn't really change direction. He caught the ball and turned up field. This speaks to the exact point big is making.

This is true, and I don't have any fantasies about Henry being about to dance out of traffic like a shifty scatback. However, it's not like there weren't defenders in front and around him. This might have been a 10 yard gain with Lewis unless he juked the DB, and even then Lewis would have been tackled 5 yards later. Henry turned it into a 70 yard TD. 

 

So as far as being a threat in the screen game, if Henry is allowed to at least catch and turn upfield, he can potentially score from anywhere on the field. Granted, he's way more likely to get cut down behind the LOS on a bad screen, but he also adds a lot more big play potential. He's also a much more effective pure runner right now than Lewis and he offers big play potential in the running game. If the DEs/LBs play contain more to keep Henry from bouncing outside, that theoretically should: make playaction more dangerous, open the TE seam, and slow down the pass rush. 

 

If given the choice, I'd take Kamara. But we don't have Kamara We don't have Gurley. We have Henry and Lewis and chance at the playoffs this year.

[big2033]

1 hour ago, japan said:

Too bad we can't find videos of all the screens to him where he just picks up a couple of yards because of his slow transition.  They don't usually keep those accessible on the internet.

There are actually a good amount of Dion Lewis plays for us lol. You guys need to relax.

 

Admit it, I can ... Henry looks great on the move. It's enticing watching him stiff arm and truck people. 

 

Everyone wants to see him break runs. But if he doesn't do it consistently it won't matter.

 

Just be realistic about it. 

[big2033]

57 minutes ago, TitanTez said:

The guy has made 9 tds  Big, your head is so far up the pigs ass,  chittilings are for dinner. 

Consistency. He looked great last game. That's mostly it.

 

Don't make the same mistake we've made in anointing Mariota before the season's done. He's gotta do it consistently.

 

I WANT to see him do it consistently.

Edited December 10, 2018 by big2033

[cenj]

Also, people keep saying that the Jags just quit this game. What is seemingly ignored is that Henry made them quit. They don't avoid contact if Lewis is running the ball.

 

Keep in mind that the Titans had just made two terrible mistakes, and were in danger of having the game turn on them. Mariota throws a terrible INT, and we had the safety. The Jags drove down to the 1-yard-line and were just unable to punch it in. Emotionally, the Jags were very much in it. The week before they defensively destroyed the Colts. 

 

Henry brutalized them. When he has space, defenders don't want to face him 1-on-1. You could even see DBs (Ramsey) pull up on some runs. Players have talked before about how much it hurts to tackle him, and how going low can give players a concussion. There's something to be said for a player turning tough defenses into scared "not-worth-my-paycheck" guys in December.

 

 

[IsntLifeFunny]

5 hours ago, big2033 said:

Tell that to the people who want a Mariota-first offense with a run-game first RB in Henry.

Yeah...or people could want a RB not to average less than four yards a touch and less than 2.5 yards a carry over five games, who is currently sitting at 3.3 yards a carry for the year. That’s really complicated for some of you I guess. 

[headhunter]

Henry is extremely limited in the passing game because of his movement skills.