KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bruising Tennessee running back Derrick Henry left a mark on Chiefs head coach Andy Reid thanks to his 344 rushing yards in his last two games against Kansas City.
That punishment reminds him of another Titans running back with power and speed, Eddie George.
“He and Eddie are similar size. This kid might be even bigger than Eddie. Both of them were big, strong backs that could run fast. You look at them and you go, man, they would be good tight ends too.”
Henry and George certainly share size. George stood 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, while Henry at the same height carries 12 additional pounds.
Another key statistical comparison – George helped lead the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999 while tallying 1,762 yards from scrimmage during the regular season. This year Henry gained 1,746 scrimmage yards.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu says Kansas City suffered a break down in the second half against Henry back in Week 10 when he rushed for 188 yards and two scores in a 35-32 victory over the Chiefs.
“He is a great back,” Mathieu said. “It is hard to kind of keep those guys bottled up all game. I think the most important thing is we have to finish the game strong. If you watch a lot of Derrick Henry, he gets stronger as the game goes on.”
Linebacker Anthony Hitchens the Chiefs must hit Henry often and low if they want to prevail in Sunday's AFC Championship game.
“You just got to take his legs out,” Hitchens said. “We’ve talked all week about taking out the engine. We need to just chop him down. When you tackle him high, he tends to carry you for five more yards. Hit him low.”
