Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry perfected his stiff-arm move during his first eight NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Now the Titans (0-3) are trying to avoid the wrong side of Henry’s arm when they play at the Ravens (2-1) on Oct. 4 (noon CT, CBS) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Henry owns the Titans' franchise record for rushing touchdowns (90) and is still beloved in Nashville for his time there (2016-23). He has not played against his beleaguered former team since signing as a free agent with the Ravens in 2024.
Tennessee defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers said on Sept. 28 that defenders have to use strength in numbers against Henry and put their pride aside.
right guard position
If players fear getting posterized by Henry, they’ve already lost the mental battle against the five-time Pro Bowler, he said.
“Never in life do we want something like that to happen, but we understand that’s the cost of doing business. As long as that man gets on the ground, he can stiff-arm and do whatever he wants, but that’s a tackle at the end of the day and my team gets to live another down. You can’t be mad at something like that,” Franklin-Myers said. “We’re competitors. This dude is 6-4, (250) pounds playing running back. You can't tell me he’s not going to do something. So, next play you hit him again and keep doing it until the whistle blows.”
Franklin-Myers would know. As a member of the New York Jets in 2021, he dropped Henry for a 4-yard loss on the Titans' first play in overtime in an eventual 27-24 Jets victory.
Tennessee’s offensive woes have kept its defense on the field for long stretches through three games. The Titans are last in the NFL in time of possession at 23:27 per game.
Henry, 32, is the perfect vehicle to keep the ball away from his old team. He has rushed for 301 yards and six touchdowns on 66 carries in three games, including 89 yards rushing and two TDs in the Ravens’ 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
“His consistency, just being great,” Titans running back Tony Pollard said about why Henry’s peers admire him. “Being the back he is through the years of him being in the league and playing at the high level for so long and having no drop-off.”
Franklin-Myers noted that running backs who stiff-arm defenders rely on one hand to hold the ball, creating a turnover opportunity for the defense.
“You don't have to tackle him to the ground if you get the ball,” Franklin-Myers said. “It’s all about relentlessness, getting guys to the ball and tackling him. The stiff-arm is good but if you have to stiff-arm three, four, five, six, 11 people, then now we’re talking about a different guy.”
Tyler Palmateer covers the Tennessee Titans for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How do the Titans avoid Ravens RB Derrick Henry's stiff-arm?
