Packers Slow Derrick Henry in Loss to Titans

 By Eric Goska

Charissa Thompson and Richard Sherman talked football from
the parking lot of Lambeau Field on Thursday night.
(photos by Eric Goska)

The good news: Derrick Henry did not dominate the Packers as he might have.

The bad news: With all eyes on the league’s leading rusher, the Titans put up their best passing numbers of 2022.

Green Bay defended the run better than it has all season in its 27-17 loss to Tennessee Thursday night at Lambeau Field. It did not surrender 100 yards despite being challenged more than 30 times on the ground.

The Titans boast one of the league’s most feared runners in “King Henry.” No. 22 has been gaining ground for the team since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft.

Listed at 6-feet-3 inches and 247 pounds, Henry is a man who can move the chains. Getting bodies on him before he gets going is the best way to bring him down.

But could Green Bay do that and do that consistently? Could defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s unit – one that surrendered 122 yards to David Montgomery, 116 to Breece Hall and 115 to Tony Pollard – hold up under a sustained barrage by the big fellah?

Turns out for the most part, it could. Henry rushed for 87 yards on 28 carries (3.11 per attempt) and never authored a run of 10 or more yards.

Fourteen Packers figured in on a tackle or an assisted tackle of Henry. Each defensive starter for the Packers, with the exception of Jaire Alexander and Rudy Ford, was credited with helping to bring him down at least once.

Those in the mix most often were Kris Barnes (8 plays), Quay Walker (7) and Adrian Amos (5). Barnes, Walker and Kenny Clark each registered two solo stops.

Twice was Henry thrown for a loss. Walker and Preston Smith knocked him back two yards in the second quarter and Kingsley Enagbare and Jonathan Garvin tackled him a yard behind the line of scrimmage in the fourth.

The band Ask Your Mother performed ahead of the Packers-Titans game.

Henry, of course, had his moments. He churned out five rushing first downs. He barreled in from four yards out to put the Titans up 14-6 with 32 seconds remaining in the first half.

Never was Henry more present than on Tennessee’s 18-play advance to start the second quarter. He carried 10 times for 24 yards and four first downs as the Titans reached the Green Bay 4-yard line.

But that work went for naught as Walker and Smith sent Henry backward on fourth down.

In getting such an extensive workout, Henry became the 60th back since 1923 to carry more than 25 times in a regular-season game against the Packers. Of those 60, he became just the seventh to fail to produce at least one run of 10 or more yards.

In fact, the majority (19) of Henry’s totes didn’t gain more than 3 yards. Six netted him a yard or less.

Green Bay’s focus on Henry, of course, allowed the Titans to soar through the air. Ryan Tannehill completed 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards and two scores to forge a passer rating of 127.3.

Henry got in on some of that action as well. He caught two throws for 45 yards and completed a pair of passes himself. His 3-yard TD toss to tight end Austin Hooper put Tennessee ahead 20-9 in the third quarter.

25-Plus Won’t Get You 10

The seven running backs who carried more than 25 times in a regular-season game against the Packers yet failed to come up with a run of 10 or more yards. Numbers for Nevers and Latone are unofficial.

Att.	Yds.	LG	Name	Team	Date	Result
31	65	9	Walter Payton	Bears	Sept. 7, 1980	GB won, 12-6
30	93	9	Dave Hampton	Falcons	Oct. 22, 1972	GB lost, 9-10
28	64	8	Ernie Nevers	Cardinals	Nov. 16, 1930	GB lost, 6-13
28	87	9	Derrick Henry	Titans	Nov. 17, 2022	GB lost, 17-27
27	101	8	Raymont Harris	Bears	Oct. 12, 1997	GB won, 24-23
27	88	9	James Wilder	Buccaneers	Dec. 2, 1984	GB won, 27-14
26	88	9	Tony Latone	Maroons	Nov. 4, 1928	GB won, 26-14
26	49	8	James Wilder	Buccaneers	Dec. 22, 1985	GB won, 20-17