HOUSTON — Derrick Henry was feeling it Sunday, running all over the Houston Texans like he has so many times before.
At one point the two-time NFL rushing champion turned to Malik Willis, the rookie taking snaps for the Tennessee Titans, and delivered a simple but pointed message.
“He was like: ‘They can’t stop me. They can’t stop me.’ It was cool to see that because they weren’t stopping him,” said Willis, a third-round draft pick who made his first NFL start with veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill sidelined by illness and an injury to his right ankle incurred a week earlier in a home win against the Indianapolis Colts.
Henry dominated the Texans yet again, rushing for 219 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Titans to a 17-10 AFC South win that strengthened the two-time reigning division champs’ position atop the standings.
It was Henry’s fourth straight 200-yard game against the Texans, making him the first player in NFL history to have at least 150 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in four consecutive games against the same opponent. The 28-year-old has six 200-yard games in his career, tying O.J. Simpson and Adrian Peterson for the most in NFL history.
“Credit to those guys up front on blocking: O-line, receivers, tight ends, fullbacks,” Henry said. “They are sacrificing to be able to block and have the tools to have success so I can make a play. I give all the credit to them, so I can go out there and do my job. I’m happy to get the win.”
With Tannehill out, the Titans (5-2) went to Henry early and often. He ripped off a season-long 41-yard run on his second carry of the game and never looked back against Houston (1-5-1), which has the worst rushing defense in the league.
After opening the season 0-2, the Titans have won five straight behind Henry, who had his fourth straight game with at least 100 rushing yards. Henry, who missed the second half of the 2021 regular season due to injury, had a season-high 32 carries and touchdown runs of 29 yards and 1 yard to help the Titans build a 14-3 lead.
“We’ve come to expect that from him,” Vrabel said. “He puts so much on himself. … Derrick expects more from himself than anyone on this football team or any coaching member would. I’m glad we have him.”
Tennessee was up by 14 when the Texans’ Davis Mills connected with rookie Dameon Pierce on a 3-yard touchdown pass that cut the visitors’ lead to 17-10 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Tennessee then recovered the onside kick to seal it.
Henry’s big day gives him 75 career touchdowns (72 rushing and three receiving), passing Eddie George for the most in the history of a franchise that began as the Houston Oilers before moving to Tennessee after the 1996 season. He joked he was “winded” after shouldering such a heavy load but wouldn’t comment directly on all the milestones he reached against the Texans, instead praising his offensive line.
“They were the ones that made that happen,” Henry said. “I would hope they take pride in that.”
Henry has run for 892 yards and nine touchdowns combined in his past four games against Houston. He missed both games against the Texans last year with a broken foot, making Sunday his first game against them since the finale of the 2020 season, when he ran for a career-best 250 yards to surpass 2,000 for the year.
The last-place Texans weren’t just terrible on defense Sunday. They also couldn’t get anything going on offense and didn’t crack 100 yards until late in the fourth quarter. They finished with 161 yards and were 2-of-4 on third-down conversions.
Mills was 17-of-29 for 152 yards with an interception and a touchdown, struggling more than usual with top receiver Nico Collins out with an injury.
“It starts up front,” first-year Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “When you get dominated up front on both sides of the football, it’s hard to get any game plan going.”
Willis, who was the 86th pick in the draft, threw for 55 yards with an interception as Tannehill sat out for the first time since the seventh game of the 2019 season.
Henry put the Titans up 7-3 when he shed two defenders and stiff-armed another as he tumbled into the end zone on a 29-yard run with about four minutes left in the second quarter. He pushed the lead to 14-3 when he waltzed in on fourth-and-goal from the 1 midway through the third. Dontrell Hilliard had runs of 21 and 30 yards to set up that touchdown.
The Titans finished with 314 yards on the ground as Hilliard added 83.
“It’s unacceptable for us as a defense to give up that many yards,” linebacker Christian Kirksey said.
Robert Woods fumbled a punt return in the first quarter, and the Texans recovered. It was the third fumble on a punt return for the Titans this season but the first by Woods.
The Texans couldn’t cash in on that mistake, either.