Derrick Henry Defends Ryan Tannehill, Says Loss to Burrow's Bengals Will 'Fuel' QB

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry believes Ryan Tannehill will come back better in 2022 after a poor performance in the team's 19-16 playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Speaking to Mike Florio and Chris Simms on PFT Live, Henry said Tannehill will use that game as "fuel" for next season:

"One game doesn’t define a player. It’s not just one person playing out there by himself. It’s a team effort. Things like that happens sometimes. At the end of the day, I know who Ryan is. I know the type of player that he is that he’s going to let that fuel him and not get down on himself. We’re all back and we’re all behind him. We’re all going to stick together and come back better."

Expectations were high for the Titans coming into the playoffs. They earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record, despite needing to use an NFL-record 91 players in games during the regular season because of injuries. 

Things went awry for Tennessee right from the start of its divisional-round game against Cincinnati. Tannehill threw an interception on the first play of the game. He was picked off a total of three times, including one at the Bengals' 9-yard line on a quick screen intended for Chester Rogers that Mike Hilton hauled in after tipping the ball into the air. 

Tannehill's final interception came with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to set up Evan McPherson's game-winning 52-yard field goal for Cincinnati as time expired. 

The three turnovers in the AFC divisional round for Tannehill were as many as he had in the previous six games combined dating back to Week 12.