The Tennessee Titans could get a tremendous boost when they take on the Houston Texans Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium.
The reigning NFL rushing champion has been designated to return from injured reserve and could play against the Texans in Week 18.
Henry was not available for the Texans’ Week 10 tilt with the Titans at Nissan Stadium. However, Tennessee was riding a two-game winning streak since the loss of Henry; they weren’t exactly sputtering. Houston prevailed 22-13 over the Titans on a rainy afternoon in Nashville.
Having Henry back doesn’t change anything for Texans coach David Culley.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Culley said. “Obviously, he’s a different challenge for anybody when you play them, and he is in there. They’ve been having three guys do what one guy had been doing but no, they are going to be the same. It’s no different challenge for us.”
Although Henry was absent for the rainy affair in Week 10, Culley says the Texans’ preparation would have been the same had he been available and the Titans not relied upon Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman.
“Obviously if he had played when we played them the first time, it would have been no different,” said Culley. “Our preparation is all the same. Obviously, he’s a great player and that offense goes right through him. Now they are just doing it by running back by committee, but we will treat it just the same whether he plays or not.”
The Titans have plenty to play for, which is why Henry may go against Houston. Should the Kansas City Chiefs win on Saturday afternoon against the Denver Broncos, they would have temporary possession of the No. 1 seed in the AFC. A Titans win over the Texans would restore Tennessee’s tiebreaker over the Chiefs, and the road to the Super Bowl would go through Nashville.