When the Broncos hosted the Titans last season, Denver’s defense limited Tennessee running back Derrick Henry to 28 rushing yards on 15 carries. The Broncos shut down the Titans’ offense and won the game 16-0.
Tennessee changed quarterbacks during that game and stuck with Ryan Tannehill for the rest of the year. Henry went on to lead the league in rushing attempts and rushing yards, dominating the NFL after being shut down by Denver’s defense.
The Broncos will aim to slow down Henry again when they host the Titans on Monday but that task is easier said than done.
“Henry is obviously one of the best backs in the league, had a fantastic season last year, really excelled in their last half of the season and in the playoffs,” coach Vic Fangio said on Sept. 8. “He’s a big, powerful back. They’re committed to him. He breaks tackles.”
Fangio said Denver’s defenders will need to swarm to the football and take Henry down collectively. He’s a hard back to bring down one-on-one so the Broncos will probably stack the box against Tennessee.
“I think [we have] to get multiple guys to the ball,” safety Kareem Jackson said on Sept. 8. “We know what type of guy he is, seeing as though we played against him last year. I think their team is a totally different team from when we played them to what they are now. He’s a totally different runner from what he was then to how he finished up the year last year.
“For us, the key is going to be getting multiple hats to the ball. We can’t rely on one guy to get him down. He’s a big guy and he can run. He has great vision and they have a great offensive line as well. We have to get multiple guys to the ball. We have to make sure we wrap up and make the for sure tackle.”
Monday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN at 8:20 p.m. MT.
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