Watch: Derrick Henry plays quarterback, throws touchdown pass vs. Chiefs
Derrick Henry showed in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs that he's more than just the king of rushing. Henry threw a touchdown pass into the red zone on a trick play where he lined up in the wildcat position.
Henry took a direct snap while Ryan Tannehill ran to the left side of the field. Henry stopped where the offensive line was and jumped to complete a pass. The pass was caught by second-string tight end Michael MyCole Pruitt. The score put the Tennessee Titans up 7-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter.
Derrick Henry throws the first TE TD on #NationalTightEndsDay!
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Derrick Henry throws a touchdown pass against the Chiefs in the first quarter
Derrick Henry threw the first touchdown pass by a Titans running back since 2016. DeMarco Murray was the last running back to do it for Tennessee. The Chiefs didn't see the play coming as it took them by complete surprise.
The Titans would benefit from more trick plays and variations to their offense. Derrick Henry has had to do everything for the Titans' offense this year. He has 162 rushes through just six games, the most in the NFL by far. He also leads the NFL in rushing yards with 783 yards.
The Titans' passing offense has struggled due to injuries this year. Julio Jones missed Weeks 4 and 5 due to a hamstring injury. AJ Brown also missed Week 4 due to a leg injury.
The Chiefs entered Week 7 with one of the worst defenses in the league. They have given up the fifth-most points per game in the NFL. Everything from their pass rush to their secondary has disappointed. They fell victim to Derrick Henry early on in Week 7.
Derrick Henry is on pace for an MVP season
Before Henry made the impressive touchdown throw, he was already on pace to win the MVP award. The numbers Henry is on pace for are absurd, unlike anything we've seen in NFL history.
Derrick Henry is on pace for 2,219 yards and 28 TDs. He’s an absolute monster and if he’s not a top-3 MVP candidate, we officially have to rename the award “QB of the Year”.
In the future, we'll see if the Titans deploy the wildcat formation more. Trickery can be a surprise element to the Titans' offense as the playoffs get closer. The playoffs are the perfect time to bring out trick plays and catch opponents off guard. Head Coach Arthur Smith was innovative with the Atlanta Falcons, so it's a possibility.
Henry is on pace to win offensive player of the year, as well as MVP. The Titans still have ten games left after this week to continue building Henry's MVP resume.