Derrick Henry: Titans want it “gritty” and “dirty”

[T-Rac]

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Titans running back Derrick Henry capped his career year with a career game, gaining 182 yards on 34 carries to fuel an upset of the Patriots. Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel had told his players to expect to be physically and mentally exhausted. And that’s the way his players prefer it.

“We don’t want anything easy,” Henry told reporters after the game. “We want it gritty, we want it dirty. That’s the mentality we’ve got to have. My main focus is finishing each and every drive in all three phases. Don’t give up on each other, believe, communicate when we’re out there, what we’re seeing so we make adjustments as a team. Just keep thriving, keep striving and finish the game.”

The Titans’ ability to end a decade-long run of greatness represents a major accomplishment. But Henry still wants more. And he still has the same mindset that he had in training camp.

“I just said that at the end of camp, just saying, ‘Why not us?'” Henry said. “I don’t think anybody expected anything from us. Keep that underdog mentality and just stay hungry. Just keep believing in each other because all of us in that building, all of us together, we’re the ones that have to make it happen. No matter what anybody writes or anybody says, we’re the ones that have to go out there and do it, each and every day. Each practice, each play, and just keep believing in each other. Like I told them, ‘Why not us, why can’t we do it?’ That’s why we’re going to keep that same mentality, keep working.”

The work continues for at least another week, and it won’t be any easier. Against the Ravens in Baltimore, however, the Titans surely will get what they want — gritty and dirty.