To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Tennessee Titans have done a fantastic job of running the football throughout the preseason.
It’s no secret that the Titans’ entire identity is built around being a physical team that wants to beat opponents up for four quarters on both sides of the ball.
While we haven’t seen Derrick Henry play this preseason, his backups are certainly doing their part in keeping the team’s identity alive.
Last week alone, Tennessee produced a whooping 281 rushing yards, with Julius Chestnut (98 yards), Malik Willis (91 yards), and Tyjae Spears (57 yards) leading the way.
After two exhibition games, the Titans have the two best running backs in terms of yards per carry (YPC) after contact (minimum 14 rushes), per Sumer Sports’ Eric Eager. Spears leads the league with 5.62 YPC after contact while Chestnut is right behind him at 4.45 YPC after contact.
the #Titans this preseason have the two highest runners in terms of yards per carry after contact (min 14 rushes):
Spears 5.62 (7.57 against Minnesota)
Chestnut 4.45 (3.46 against Minnesota)— Eric Eager 📊🏈 (@ericeager_) August 21, 2023
The Tulane product, in particular, shined against the Vikings, producing an eye-popping 7.57 yards per after contact.
The closer we get to the start of the regular season, the more it has become glaringly obvious that Spears and Chestnut are the best running backs on the team not named King Henry.
At this point, barring some type of unforeseen development, it would be a complete shock if those two aren’t the No. 2 and No. 3 running backs on the depth chart to start 2023.
