How do we stop Henry

[Adamixoye 604]

7 minutes ago, Mloe68 said:

I just have to shake my head about the lack of perspective every time I read something like this. When the entire design and focus of a defense is to stop one guy it creates much easier opportunities elsewhere. Even as Henry didn’t have the big numbers yet, his impact was gigantic.  
 

I read some of the same stuff about Tyreek in last years AFC Title game. BB dedicated a corner and safety to him on every play. Fact he only had 1 catch doesn’t minimize his impact as Watkins and Williams ran free. And Tyreek is nowhere near the total percentage of our offense that Henry is to Tennessee.  
 

Difference between Henry and most players is you can scheme most guys out of a game and take your chances elsewhere. Bilechick and Harbaugh tried and failed.  

It partly depends on how you interpret that final line.  But I don't think the tweet is ignorant at all, and I think you're reading something into it that's not there.

I don't disagree that he's having an effect on scheme, etc., just like your point about Hill.  Although I will say I've seen some other great things comparing Henry's stats under Mariota vs. Tannehill---it's pretty dramatic.  So who's really helping whom?

But the Ravens had basically stopped Henry on his own.  And the game was already lost because of turnovers and 4-and-short failures (glancing at the game chart that had at least one of each by the time the tweet is referring to) and Tannehill's passing by the time Henry got going.  Yes, you can't totally separate different aspects of the offense.  I'm not arguing that.  But the question under discussion is "how do we stop Henry?"  The national media keeps banging the drum that a good game by Henry beat us in November, and it's how they can beat us again.

I think the Tweet demonstrates what I've been saying, that stopping Henry's production isn't the #1 issue.  We could stop him and still be in trouble.  We could have trouble with him and still be in good shape.

If you want to say the THREAT of Henry was more important than all of those other things, I guess you can make that argument, but it would be hard to prove and I personally don't buy it.

[reesebobby 5,661]

Can someone please explain to me how Henry had five 100 yard games in his first 56 and then goes on a 9 game tear where he averages 160 a game?

[WarCry 30]

[Adamixoye 604]

1 hour ago, reesebobby said:

Can someone please explain to me how Henry had five 100 yard games in his first 56 and then goes on a 9 game tear where he averages 160 a game?

As I alluded to above, there is some evidence that he's performing much better with Tannehill than Mariota.  I think your 9 game sample is roughly correlated with that.

 

[kkuenn 3,597]

Tackle him. That will stop him lol sarcasm 

[artsy 1,137]

Just now, kkuenn said:

Tackle him. That will stop him lol sarcasm 

Lol..yea easier said than done.

The Texans held him to 87 yds rushing in week 13 when they played for first place in the South.and won.

Hell, imo if they can do it, so can we.

[kkuenn 3,597]

https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2020/01/15/kansas-city-chiefs-tennessee-titans-afc-championship-game-how-to-stop-rb-derrick-henry/

 

The Kansas City Chiefs have a difficult task at hand as the Tennessee Titans make their way into Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Championship Game.

Titans RB Derrick Henry has amassed 377 yards and a rushing touchdown on 64 carries in the past two weeks. The Titans have taken out the New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens during that span. Now, Henry has his sights aimed at doing the same to the Chiefs’ defense.

When Kansas City traveled to Tennessee in Week 10, Henry rushed for 188 yards and two scores. The Titans ultimately won that game 35-32. So how do the Chiefs’ defenders plan on combating Henry this time around? According to defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, it all starts with having the right mentality.

“…I think (Derrick) Henry put together a great season,” Mathieu said. “He’s done a lot of things for his team and they’re really leaning on him. I think the mentality is that somebody is going to have to stop him. Somebody is going to have to make a tackle on him if we want to get to Miami. So it’s one goal, one objective to win the game. In order to do that we know that we’ve got to slow down No. 22.”

If the players remember what’s at stake, they might be able to make that special play that slows Henry down. Knowing that he’s one of the things that stands between them and the Lamar Hunt Trophy and a trip to Miami for the Super Bowl, that can be a powerful motivator.

An area where Mathieu believes the Chiefs need to improve is how they handle Henry late in the game. While the defense wears as the game goes on, Henry and his play snowballs and gets stronger, according to Mathieu.

“He’s a great back and it’s hard to keep those guys bottled up all game,” Mathieu said. “I think the key is that we’ve got to finish the game strong. If you watch a lot of Derrick Henry, he gets stronger as the game goes on. His first halves, they aren’t that great, but second-half football he takes off. So we’ve got to be well-rested and hydrated in order to kind of finish the game and really compete against him and slow him down when it matters the most in the fourth quarter… I remember last time we played them there were nine minutes on the clock. They were down by nine and they kept feeding him the ball. So you know that they believe in him.”

The defense held Henry to 45 yards during the first half in Week 10. That means most of his yardage came in the second half, including a breakaway touchdown run. Having a better defensive rotation and fewer injuries should help Kansas City finish the game stronger.

Part of Henry’s strength is also drawn from the Titans offensive line. It’s mostly a veteran group and they’re playing physical and sound football right now.

“They’re so big upfront,” Mathieu said of the Titans offensive line. “I think their offensive line is really underrated. They’re mean and nasty. They believe in themselves. The play together and I think ultimately they believe in the guy behind them…”

 

Linebacker Anthony Hitchens will be tasked with getting the defense set and ready to stop Henry. Hitchens is looking for the Chiefs’ defenders to rally to the football. The more people hitting Henry and wrapping him up, the easier it’ll be to bring him down.

“It’s going to take a lot of us hitting and tackling him,” Hitchens said. “More than one guy. He’s a big guy, strong and physical with all the tools. That’s why he’s running wild right now. It’s going to take all of us hitting him and wrapping him up and trying to get him down.”

There’s a certain way you have to tackle a player like Henry, though. If you aim too high, it’s like trying to tackle a tree, and he’ll get those extra yards after contact. The Chiefs will be aiming for a different part of Henry when they go to make a tackle.

“You’ve got to just take his legs out,” Hitchens said. “We’ve talked all week about killing the engine. Hit him in his thighs and his legs, chop them down. When you tackle him high he tends to carry you for about 4-5 more yards. Hit him low, all legal within the game, but you’ve got to just hit him lower.”

Ultimately, the Chiefs defense is playing with a lot of confidence right now. According to Hitchens, if they all get their details down, they’ll be able to bottle up a weapon like Henry for a full four quarters of football.

“Our team has grown so much since then,” Hitchens said. “We’ve been the top defense the past 6-7 weeks. We’ve been focusing on our details. One guy can miss an assignment or a gap and you can get gashed. Just like when we played them last time. You hold him pretty good for three and a half quarters and then he busts a 70-yard run on us. Trying not to let that happen again and play four quarters of great defense and I think we’ll be alright.”

[reesebobby 5,661]

43 minutes ago, Adamixoye said:

As I alluded to above, there is some evidence that he's performing much better with Tannehill than Mariota.  I think your 9 game sample is roughly correlated with that.

 

I guess that makes sense. 

[artsy 1,137]

1 minute ago, reesebobby said:

I guess that makes sense. 

Yea, KC has to bring their A game this weekend. The Titans are really more than just a one trick pony..i.e. D. Henry.

Mr. Tannehill has been playing very AS11 like. He's been playing good enough to beat teams when they fall asleep or stack the box to stop the run game. KC has to stay discipline and gang tackle Henry for 60 min.

They are not in the AFCCG due to luck. They are a very well coached team with a veteran oline and solid defense. Couple that with a "Us against the World" attitude, and they are gonna be a tough out.

With that being said, IMO KC is a better team, top to bottom. The Chiefs are also well coached and as long we don't beat ourselves, we should win.

Is it Sunday yet????

[Mloe68 1,521]

2 hours ago, Adamixoye said:

 

I don't disagree that he's having an effect on scheme, etc., just like your point about Hill.  Although I will say I've seen some other great things comparing Henry's stats under Mariota vs. Tannehill---it's pretty dramatic.  So who's really helping whom?

And this speaks to the heart of the importance of a complimentary passing game for them and running game for us. But also if you read about how Vrabel has adjusted to the way teams defend Henry, they adapted their play calling accordingly after 6 weeks. Specifically how they run the ball. Make no mistake. The number one reason the Titans win is Derrick Henry. It does not however mean others aren't heavily involved. This is a team game. 

2 hours ago, Adamixoye said:

But the Ravens had basically stopped Henry on his own.  And the game was already lost because of turnovers and 4-and-short failures (glancing at the game chart that had at least one of each by the time the tweet is referring to) and Tannehill's passing by the time Henry got going.  Yes, you can't totally separate different aspects of the offense.  I'm not arguing that.  But the question under discussion is "how do we stop Henry?"  The national media keeps banging the drum that a good game by Henry beat us in November, and it's how they can beat us again.

The game was over? What? It was a one possession game for goodness sakes!! Baltimore had all the momentum they lost by going for it on 4th down. That's for sure. And Derrick Henry made them pay. 5 of the next 6 plays went through Henry who finished the drive with 75 yards and a TD pass of all things. Now the score is 21-6 and the Ravens were completely rattled. 31 of their 53 offensive plays went to Henry. His presence opened up major opportunity in the passing game early to take the lead. His running ability is what put the game out of one possession reach and of course milked the game away as it did in NE. Meanwhile the Ravens were taken out of the style that got them to where they were. WAY to much passing. That's how you beat the Ravens though. You make them pass. Do the same to the Titans and we will likely get a similiar result. 

2 hours ago, Adamixoye said:

I think the Tweet demonstrates what I've been saying, that stopping Henry's production isn't the #1 issue.  We could stop him and still be in trouble.  We could have trouble with him and still be in good shape..

 In this league you try to minimize the damage the other teams best players have and put the game on the shoulders of the pawns rather than the queen. Tannehill hasn't thrown for even 100 yards in either playoff win. He's great in a limited role as a functional part of the offense that goes through Henry carrying the load. If he's asked to be focal point, they usually lose which is why he's in Tennessee to begin with. Its not about a yardage number or anything like that. Its about finding a way to minimize Henry's impact. And that could certainly mean taking away play action opportunities by scoring a lot of points too. 

[Mloe68 1,521]

1 hour ago, artsy said:

Yea, KC has to bring their A game this weekend. The Titans are really more than just a one trick pony..i.e. D. Henry.

Mr. Tannehill has been playing very AS11 like. He's been playing good enough to beat teams when they fall asleep or stack the box to stop the run game. KC has to stay discipline and gang tackle Henry for 60 min.

They are not in the AFCCG due to luck. They are a very well coached team with a veteran oline and solid defense. Couple that with a "Us against the World" attitude, and they are gonna be a tough out.

With that being said, IMO KC is a better team, top to bottom. The Chiefs are also well coached and as long we don't beat ourselves, we should win.

Is it Sunday yet????

I like the AS11 comparison. Alex would have been good enough to get to a Super Bowl if he was asked to do less as Tannehill does. Both are capable of spot big performances and delivering when the other team is really focused elsewhere. As we will certainly be. Maybe the best game to find a plan for other than the last Titans game itself was how we played the NFCs best running back Dalvin Cook. Clearly containing him was the focal point of the game plan. And like Tennessee we couldn't ignore the WRs. But we made Cook work for everything and put the game on the squarely on the shoulders of Kirk Cousins. If we can duplicate that effort in this game, we will be headed for Miami. 

[Adamixoye 604]

1 minute ago, Mloe68 said:

The game was over? What? It was a one possession game for goodness sakes!!

The tweet refers to when it was 14-0.  Baltimore ended up scoring 12.  I'm not saying the game was "over" or that the game was destined to play out the way it did and Baltimore had no shot, but at that point the Titans had seized control.

1 minute ago, Mloe68 said:

Tannehill hasn't thrown for even 100 yards in either playoff win.

I've said repeatedly that I think it was turnovers and 4th-and-short stops that were the #1 factor in the Titans over the Ravens, and that their defense in general was the #1 factor in their ability to beat NE.  I'm not really making the argument that Tannehill is more important than Henry.

[dhitter 1,424]

It's one thing to say how a team is going to try and stop Henry...it's another to execute it. Did everyone see that play against the Ravens where Judon came in uncontested....had a free shot at Henry and bounced off him like hail on pavement. Henry uses his free arm to push defenders off and he is good at it. 

To me the best way to slow Henry down is clog the run lanes, force him to bounce and run laterally and hope some BFF defender is there to drag him down before he gets rolling.

[Mloe68 1,521]

22 minutes ago, Adamixoye said:

The tweet refers to when it was 14-0.  Baltimore ended up scoring 12.  I'm not saying the game was "over" or that the game was destined to play out the way it did and Baltimore had no shot, but at that point the Titans had seized control.

Again thats why that tweet was so short sighted to think at 14-0 against the leagues top ranked offense, the game was over. The Ravens responded with three straight drives into FG range and should have cut lead to 14-9. When they didn't. The closer did his job. The Ravens should have run the ball a lot more than they did. They became something they were not. And the Titans had them. 

Quote

I've said repeatedly that I think it was turnovers and 4th-and-short stops that were the #1 factor in the Titans over the Ravens, and that their defense in general was the #1 factor in their ability to beat NE.  I'm not really making the argument that Tannehill is more important than Henry.

I understand all that. And I do understand your point. I just think when a guy is running at 50-60 percent of your total offense and getting the ball 60 percent of the time....he's always one of the primary reasons for the result. The Titans MUST have a passing game too. Maybe more than we need a running game. But I have no doubt in the overall defensive game plan, that containing Derrick Henry is at the top of the list. Without Jones that becomes tougher. But hopefully Andy understands the offense may be the best defense against Henry.  In the end. All I care about is finding a way to win this game. Orthodox or not. 

[oldtimer 8,686]

16 minutes ago, dhitter said:

It's one thing to say how a team is going to try and stop Henry...it's another to execute it. Did everyone see that play against the Ravens where Judon came in uncontested....had a free shot at Henry and bounced off him like hail on pavement. Henry uses his free arm to push defenders off and he is good at it. 

To me the best way to slow Henry down is clog the run lanes, force him to bounce and run laterally and hope some BFF defender is there to drag him down before he gets rolling.

exactly..on the radio this morning there was an interview with Derrick Johnson and the subject  came up about tackling Henry..mentioned wrapping up etc and I had flash backs of his often hits trying to "tackle" some one using only his shoulder..made me cringe.. that being said in his day he had put the lick on some ball carriers

 

[reesebobby 5,661]

The key to stopping Henry is me wearing the proper jersey to the game.  If I can figure that out, and people tackle, we should be ok. 

[artsy 1,137]

7 minutes ago, reesebobby said:

The key to stopping Henry is me wearing the proper jersey to the game.  If I can figure that out, and people tackle, we should be ok. 

Lol..We damnit figure it out and were the right damn jersey!!

[Lamardirts 2,114]

This game has the feeling of when LJ was tearing up the league and we played the Colts who had a bad defense but got Bob Sanders back and shut us down.    If we don’t beat ourselves like last time we played we win this game regardless of how Henry plays.

[qnet 1,150]

5 minutes ago, Lamardirts said:

This game has the feeling of when LJ was tearing up the league and we played the Colts who had a bad defense but got Bob Sanders back and shut us down.    If we don’t beat ourselves like last time we played we win this game regardless of how Henry plays.

Ha Ha! That's just the game I went back and looked up today. The Colts run defense was actually ranked worse than the Chiefs was this season. The big difference is, that Chiefs team hadn't beat two good teams on the road. 

[Mloe68 1,521]

49 minutes ago, Lamardirts said:

This game has the feeling of when LJ was tearing up the league and we played the Colts who had a bad defense but got Bob Sanders back and shut us down.    If we don’t beat ourselves like last time we played we win this game regardless of how Henry plays.

LJ only getting 13 carries against the leagues worst run defense was grounds for termination in itself.  That Colts team was loaded with pass rushers who just teed off on Trent Green.  

[dhitter 1,424]

1 hour ago, oldtimer said:

exactly..on the radio this morning there was an interview with Derrick Johnson and the subject  came up about tackling Henry..mentioned wrapping up etc and I had flash backs of his often hits trying to "tackle" some one using only his shoulder..made me cringe.. that being said in his day he had put the lick on some ball carriers.

 

Unfortunately, that last clip was the infamous "forward progress stopped" hit where the QB fumbled but it was blown dead. Another in a long line of bad calls by the stripes.

[reesebobby 5,661]

1 hour ago, artsy said:

Lol..We damnit figure it out and were the right damn jersey!!

Not as easy as you think.  Last week, I went to KC undecided on what jersey to wear and I took 2.  My red LDT M.D. and white Mahomes.  Thinking I should wear red, I went with LDT, but in the process of cleaning a grill for tailgating I got it dirty. So after tailgating, I changed to Mahomes.  Obviously we won.  But with a slow start.  I'm not sure if starting with LDT was symbolic of the slow start and finishing strong with Mahomes?  Or do I do the exact same thing--tailgate with LDT and switch to Mahomes for the game?

[jetlord 10,209]

50 minutes ago, reesebobby said:

Not as easy as you think.  Last week, I went to KC undecided on what jersey to wear and I took 2.  My red LDT M.D. and white Mahomes.  Thinking I should wear red, I went with LDT, but in the process of cleaning a grill for tailgating I got it dirty. So after tailgating, I changed to Mahomes.  Obviously we won.  But with a slow start.  I'm not sure if starting with LDT was symbolic of the slow start and finishing strong with Mahomes?  Or do I do the exact same thing--tailgate with LDT and switch to Mahomes for the game?

Buy a new Sorenson jersey.  😊

[mex 65,581]

9 hours ago, ATLchief said:

Titans will be looking to take Kelce out of the game.  And when I say "take out," I mean take him out.  By any means necessary.  Helmet to helmet, cutting him at the knees, you name it.  They want him watching from the locker room.

 

 

did cyprien get ejected for that hit? because that was clearly targeting by definition

[oldtimer 8,686]

1 minute ago, mex said:

did cyprien get ejected for that hit? because that was clearly targeting by definition

"Targeting " and getting ejected I believe is a college rule..nothing more than Personal foul penalty and possibly a fine