Derrick Henry is still an elite back.

[ctm]

Until the OP defines "elite", specifically the criteria that constitute elite then this is just a meaningless debate over an undefined term.

[OILERMAN]

19 minutes ago, Thumbtack said:

 It's the unwarranted claims he wants to make

 

Which are?

[OILERMAN]

An unwarranted claim would be saying Levis threw 4 TDs because the defense was keyed in on Henry, who was one the sideline for 3 of them

[Thumbtack]

It's hilarious how the narrative keeps changing.

[titansfan]

50 minutes ago, ctm said:

Until the OP defines "elite", specifically the criteria that constitute elite then this is just a meaningless debate over an undefined term.

 

 

Whatever you think elite is. He checks thr boxes

[ctm]

1 minute ago, titansfan said:

 

 

Whatever you think elite is. He checks thr boxes

Posters and fans disagree on the definition.  So there can't be a reasonable discussion when people are talking about two different things.  My point isn't 

complicated and you still haven't defined what measurable criteria make him elite.

 

[CreepingDeath]

Who am I?:

 

Even the best RBs don't mean a damn thing to a team winning or losing in today's NFL.

AND

The Titans would win more if they played a different RB than this one specific guy.  

[titansfan]

8 minutes ago, ctm said:

Posters and fans disagree on the definition.  So there can't be a reasonable discussion when people are talking about two different things.  My point isn't 

complicated and you still haven't defined what measurable criteria make him elite.

 

 

And I'm telling you it's whatever you think it is. The post literally lays out three things that a RB does that he does at a high level, so you're being obtuse and difficult for no reason other than to begin another distracting topic about defining a word just for sport. 

[BudsOilers]

Henry at this point is a volume stat back, which as we know is meaningless in terms of winning losing.  He's had over 100 yards 7 times in the last 17 games and they were 2-5 in those games.  In the 2 wins where he did go over 100 yards, his yards were largely inconsequential to the wins as the passing game led the way in those games. 

 

PK tweeted a 1st down run stat inferring the Titans have the 2nd best run game in the NFL on 1st down.  Of course, they don't because 14 explosive runs came on 1st down out of 98 rushes between Henry and Spears.   When you take out the explosive run plays, the other 86% of the time they are averaging 3.2 YPC..... (see the post below for more details)

 

As for explosive run rate so far in 2023. Henry has 11 explosive runs in 137 carries (8.0%).  Spears has 8 explosive runs in 39 carries (20.5%). 

 

 

On 11/9/2023 at 3:43 PM, BudsOilers said:

Of course YPC isn't probably the best way to measure this - versus success rate and why this is a completely misleading "stat". 

 

For whatever reason almost all of the longest runs by Henry and Spears have been on 1st down.  In fact every Henry 9 X run has been on 1st down accounting for almost 50% of his 1st down yardage.  Spears has 2 2nd down X runs but over 50% of his 1st down yards on on 5 carries.

 

On 84 of their 98 1st down runs by RB's (86% of them), they are averaging 3.2 YPC......now they did have some successful runs in that 86% for sure but it's not nearly telling the truth on how many times the offense is in 2nd and long.

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by BudsOilers

[Thrill]

Henry is still good but he’s not in the same class as McCaffrey. I think if you had to rank the RBs in the NFL McCaffrey would be in a tier of his own with maybe Saquan, Mostart, Bijan, Pollard, Breece, and Henry in the next class below. 

[titansfan]

Henry has proven time and time again that he's better than those veteran RBs you listed him with. I do think eventually Bijan becomes the best back in the NFL and one of the top overall weapons, but to rank Henry with a guy like Pollard is absurd.

 

Mostart??? Stop. Breece is nice and deserves more opportunities I think but he's shown to be inconsistent for New York. 

 

Even Barkley.. at this point I think people are just in love with the idea of Barkley because there's no reason to put him on the same level as Henry. He's not as durable, reliable, and not even a better receiving option. You guys don't watch enough other games and don't really realize what we got.

 

Really disrespectful to name Henry in the same tier as the names on that list.

 

The problem with Henry here is that for too long he's been the ONLY option. That's another reason losing AJ Brown was so devastating. It made sense to start transitioning to feature him-- it would have made Henry even more effective 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by titansfan

[LongTimeFan]

5 hours ago, OILERMAN said:

Free agency will show Henry's worth around the league after the season

Free agency will show Tannehill's worth around the league after the season

[nine]

In recent years, the league had seen any number of  RBs who are quicker, more versatile, and more explosive than Henry.    The names change as these players come and go;  none has come close to matching  Henry’s consistency and production year after year after year.  
 

It’s a perfectly valid argument that perhaps Henry’s production could be adequately replaced with an RBBC approach….and that perhaps Henry’s salary would be better spent on other areas of the roster.   And there’s absolutely no question that other positions can and do have a more direct impact on an offense’s success or failure.

But the fact is, Henry is the Titans’ only offensive player who has performed and produced at a consistently high level year after year after year and who is universally regarded as one of the NFL’s elite players at his position.  And every year, there’s a contingent of fans who are all too eager to see him replaced….as if losing him would somehow result in a net gain for the offense.  

I fully agree the team will only go as far as the passing game takes it….and that Spears needs more touches and a bigger role.  

But I find it a bit disingenuous to criticize one of the very few players who has done everything that’s asked of him and performed at a reasonably high level in an otherwise dysfunctional offense.  

[titansfan]

Absolutely worth and earned every penny of his contract. 

[titanruss]

56 minutes ago, BudsOilers said:

Henry at this point is a volume stat back, which as we know is meaningless in terms of winning losing.  He's had over 100 yards 7 times in the last 17 games and they were 2-5 in those games.  In the 2 wins where he did go over 100 yards, his yards were largely inconsequential to the wins as the passing game led the way in those games. 

 

PK tweeted a 1st down run stat inferring the Titans have the 2nd best run game in the NFL on 1st down.  Of course, they don't because 14 explosive runs came on 1st down out of 98 rushes between Henry and Spears.   When you take out the explosive run plays, the other 86% of the time they are averaging 3.2 YPC..... (see the post below for more details)

 

As for explosive run rate so far in 2023. Henry has 11 explosive runs in 137 carries (8.0%).  Spears has 8 explosive runs in 39 carries (20.5%). 

 

 

 

I don't know how you can say a stat means anything once you take out explosive plays. 
 

Do it for the entire league and then rank all teams.