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INDIANAPOLIS – – Derrick Henry took the Tennessee Titans to the lead of the AFC South on Sunday.
Now, the bruised back can focus on other daunting tasks, like clinching the division title and making another long playoff series.
Henry beat the NFL’s second stingiest defense by rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Titans to a 45-26 rout at Indianapolis.
“I just had to go over there and go north and south and finish the races and finish ahead, get to the end zone,” he said. “Thanks to all those guys who block. A lot of credit goes to them. I just had to go out and do my job and be efficient when I got the ball.”
Don’t confuse Henry’s professional demeanor with the significance of this victory.
Tennessee (8-3) now have exclusive possession of the division lead over Indy (7-4), a division in the season’s two-game series and the current tie-breaker based on division records. teams.
Henry made all the difference in this one. He did the heavy lifting with 27 carries, broken tackles, eluding defenders and sometimes dragging those who tried to knock him down.
It was his third straight 100-yard game, his seventh this season and his eighth in a row on the road, tying former Titans backer Chris Johnson for the second longest streak since the 1970 merger. Only Barry Sanders (10 years in 1996-1997), member of the Hall of Fame, had a longer streak.
Henry also became the second player in franchise history with 10 TD points in three consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Fame member Earl Campbell.
As the Colts’ defense lost three key starters – Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, starting linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive end Denico Autry – Henry quickly set the tone. He touched the ball six times in Tennessee’s first 10 games, including a 12-yard rush for a 7-0 lead.
“We just didn’t perform,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “In big games it’s about doing the little things well. We didn’t do that. Sometimes we did it right in big games. We didn’t don’t do that today . “
Indy equalized the score with an 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers to Trey Burton, but Ryan Tannehill went 14-7 with a 69-yard pass to AJ Brown. Indy responded with Jacoby Brissett’s one-yard TD run, then Henry returned to work.
The NFL race leader scored on a 1-yard run midway through the second quarter, then added an 11-yard TD run to take him to 28-14. He played the perfect decoy to free Tannehill for a 1-yard TD run to give the Titans a 35-14 lead at halftime.
Henry had 140 rushing yards at the break and Indy never recovered.
“We like to set the running game whether we’re home or away, and Derrick is consistent,” Tannehill said after finishing 13 of 22 for 221 yards. “He does his thing, no matter where we are at. He’s a footballer. Player, and a very good one at it.”
INJURY REPORT
Titans: Left guard Rodger Saffold III (ankle) returned to the lineup as center Ben Jones and right tackle Dennis Kelly battled knee injuries to play. David Quessenberry became the third left tackle to start for Tennessee, and the Titans’ defense didn’t miss a beat without linebacker Jayon Brown (elbow). Defensive backs Kenny Vaccaro and Amani Hooker were shaken late.
Colts: In addition to losing Buckner and Autry (reserve / COVID-19) and Okereke (ankle), Indy played without center Ryan Kelly (neck) or running back Jonathan Taylor (COVID-19). Left tackle Anthony Castonzo injured his knee in the second quarter and goaltender Khari Willis left with back and quadriceps injuries in the second half. Neither returned.
STAT PACK
Titans: It was Henry’s 20th game in a row with at least 20 carries, the league’s second longest streak since 1948. … Henry has played three 100-yard games against Indy since 2018 – the only three against the Colts during this period. … Tennessee rushed for 230 yards and had a record scoring total. … Brown became the fourth player in franchise history – the first since Drew Hill in 1988-89 – with eight TD receptions in consecutive years. He made four catches for 98 yards and returned a 42-yard kick to the game for a score.
Colts: Indy has allowed more points in the first half than in any full game before this season. Their previous record was 32 in Cleveland. … Rivers finished 24 of 42 for 295 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his 235th straight start. He’s tied with Charles Woodson for ninth place on the NFL’s career start list. … TY Hilton caught four passes for 81 yards and his first TD this season, becoming the sixth player in Colts history with 9,000 scrimmage yards and the fourth with 9,000 receiving yards.
NEXT
Titans: Tennessee will host Cleveland next Sunday.
Colts: Indy begins a two-game road trip with a stop in Houston next Sunday.
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