Rewritten: Written by AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

The Tennessee Titans have a lot of work to do as they were plagued by numerous penalties and errors.

Luckily, their new quarterback has the support of Derrick Henry, a two-time rushing champion in the NFL.

Henry scored two touchdowns and ran a total of 76 yards, which helped the Titans end their three-game losing streak by defeating the Carolina Panthers 17-10 on Sunday.

“Coach Mike Vrabel of the Titans stated that Henry has a strong desire to make a big difference in the game. We fully support and encourage him in doing so. We are proud of his impressive career, having achieved 9,000 yards so far. Our goal is to reach 10,000 yards.”

Before reaching the age of 30, Henry joined a select group of NFL running backs who have achieved both 9,000 rushing yards and 80 touchdowns. He surpassed Corey Dillon and Jim Taylor to claim the 17th spot on the all-time list with a total of 84 rushing touchdowns. He is only one touchdown away from tying Marshawn Lynch for the 16th spot.

“I was raised watching Marshawn and was inspired by his style of play,” Henry expressed. “It’s truly an honor to be included in that list and to have achieved where I am now. I am grateful for the people who have supported me along the way.”

The Titans (4-7) have only played four games in Music City this season. They have had a home game once in the last seven weeks. They now have a 4-0 record when playing at Nissan Stadium this season.

“The magnitude is immense,” remarked DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver for the Titans. “Being in the NFL, every victory holds significant value.”

During the game, Arden Key successfully tackled the opposing team’s player and caused a fumble, which was then recovered by two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Simmons also contributed to one of the four sacks made by the Tennessee team. Denico Autry also had two sacks, with the second one occurring just two plays before the Titans forced the Panthers to give up possession of the ball with only 1:55 remaining, ultimately securing their win.

Vrabel acknowledged Young’s skill in evading tackles and preventing the Titans from restricting his movements.

“Vrabel praised the game-changing defensive play made by safety Amani Hooker, who stopped DJ Chark for no gain on fourth-and-6 to secure the win at the end.”

Rookie Will Levis threw for 185 yards and improved to 2-3 as a starter. He was sacked only once behind an offensive line featuring a pair of rookies with left tackle Jaelyn Duncan in his first NFL start beside left guard Peter Skoronski.

Carolina (1-10) began a three-game away stretch with their fourth consecutive loss. The team now holds a 0-6 record on the road. The job stability of first-year coach Frank Reich was already in doubt due to owner David Tepper, who is a billionaire. Reich stated that pitying themselves will not improve the situation.

“Do you believe someone will magically solve all our problems? No,” stated Reich.

“We were defeated in a tight football match today. These games are definitely within our reach. While this may not be convincing when our record is 1-10, I am confident that we have the talent and the coaching to win these games. Let’s regroup and prepare for the upcoming week.”

Young passed for 194 yards, contributing to Carolina’s control of possession in the second half. However, despite their efforts, the Panthers only scored once with Chuba Hubbard’s 5-yard touchdown run, bringing them within a score of 17-10 in the third quarter.

“We’re all experiencing it,” commented Young on the losses. “It’s definitely challenging. None of us are feeling great. We just rely on each other during these times. That’s really all we can do.”

The Tennessee team maintained the lead throughout the game, with Henry scoring a touchdown from a 1-yard run at the end of a 15-play, 91-yard drive that took 9 minutes and 36 seconds in the first quarter.

Eddy Pineiro successfully kicked a 50-yard field goal for the Panthers. Young was sacked by Key and had the ball stripped from him, with Simmons recovering it. This turnover allowed Henry to score his second touchdown of the game with a 10-yard run.

At halftime, Nick Folk’s 53-yard field goal gave Tennessee a 17-3 lead.

HENRY’S LATEST

Henry completed the game with 76 yards gained from running, bringing his career total to 9,074 yards. This achievement places him as the 38th player in NFL history to reach this milestone. Turning 30 in January, Henry has now joined a select group of only eight players who have accumulated at least 9,000 yards and 80 rushing touchdowns. This group includes Adrian Peterson, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Jim Brown, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson, and Marshall Faulk.

INJURIES

Laviska Shenault Jr., wide receiver for the Panthers, injured his ankle and attempted to return but was unable to finish the game. In the second quarter, starting left guard Chandler Zavala injured his right knee when he was hit from behind. Both Zavala and linebacker DJ Johnson (neck) were taken to the locker room. Zavala was later seen using crutches after the game.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will continue their away games at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

The Titans will conclude their two-game home stretch by welcoming Indianapolis on Sunday.

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The AP NFL website can be found at: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL.

Source: wralsportsfan.com