Carolina Panthers will have hands full with Derrick Henry

Henry will provide a nice challenge for the Carolina Panthers defense.

The Carolina Panthers will certainly have their work cut out for them on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Although their offensive attack may not generate a lot of headlines, their running back certainly has. Derrick Henry is truly a catalyst for the Titans offense.

So far on the season, Henry has recorded 581 rushing yards and six touchdowns. His best game of the season came on September 29 against the Atlanta Falcons. In that contest, he carried the ball 27 times for 100 yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. A 16-yard rush was his longest of the afternoon.

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I will be interested to see exactly what he does in terms of running after being contacted. He is very much a downhill runner, and he can barrel through defensive lines with ease. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of that Sunday, and the Carolina Panthers will certainly have their hands full.

Henry also keeps his legs moving at an impressive speed even with contact. He is someone who is extremely elusive, which is rare when you consider how much of a power back he can be as well. He is a, if I can borrow a term used to describe college backs, dual-threat running back.

He also has the ability to take over a game. Once he gets started, it is difficult to slow him down. It is like trying to stop a moving train or a bowling ball rolling downhill. Once it reaches full speed, good luck in trying to stop it.

The defensive line will certainly have their hands full, and in particular, the linebackers should be able to get some good looks at him. I anticipate Henry getting to the second level of the defense often. That’s not even a shot at the Carolina Panthers defense. He is just that good. This line will certainly be tested. The Panthers should at least try to stack the box whenever possible. Of course, that makes them more vulnerable in the passing game, but that is a risk that they may have to take depending upon how Henry is performing over the course of the game.

Currently, the Carolina Panthers ranked 10th in the National Football League with 129.6 rushing yards allowed per game. However, they are third-worst in the league in terms of yards allowed per carry. With 5.2 yards allowed per rush, that is definitely something they need to improve on.

Henry will provide a nice test for them as they look to bounce back following a tough loss. Stopping him may make the difference between winning and losing.