NFL International Series Ravens vs Titans

Sunday, 15 October 2023

London, England, UK

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry

Postgame Press Conference


Baltimore Ravens 24, Tennessee Titans 16

Q. (Did you see a lot of Titans fans at the game)?

DERRICK HENRY: At times. I think kind of going into the game, we understood that a lot of the fans out here were just fans of the NFL, fans of some of their favorite players and so I think just on each side it was just rooting for big plays and things like that.

But I did see a lot of Titans fans in the building and definitely appreciate those fans coming out and supporting us.

Q. At what point do you start to worry about this season at this juncture with the bye? What's the mentality in that locker room trying to regroup for the next week?

DERRICK HENRY: Guys are frustrated. You put a lot of time into this game, time into the week, preparing to go out there and play, and when you don't play well, it's very frustrating, especially coming off two straight losses.

Yeah, it's very frustrating. So I kind of have been speaking about it, trying to stream together some wins and it's just not happening right now. We are not playing well on no sides of the ball, honestly. It's not a finger-pointing type deal.

As defense, myself as captain, got to make more plays and that's the way we win ballgames. Our best players got to play well and I don't think any of us is playing well enough to win right now.

Q. An opportunity to step away collectively, get some time apart before you guys figure out how to move forward?

DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, you know, obviously got an early bye. To be honest, I don't even really want to go into a bye right now. I want to be able to get back into the building and get become to work but that's the way the schedule. Is we'll take some time off. We have guys that's injured that need some rest but I'm going to try to stay in it and try to see what I can do to try to help this team out and you know make some more plays, honestly. That's kind of something I've been thinking about the entire game. Just want to be able to go out there and make more plays and try to help this team get some wins.

Q. I'm paraphrasing but Vrabel said maybe there are some things that haven't be corrected. What's that feel like to know the coach feels that way and the state of this team, how do you feel about the state of this team? Do you feel like there are things that are repeating on a constant level?

DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, I don't know what he meant, some things that aren't correctible. You know, I think just speaking for myself, there are things that I can do better, a hundred percent, and I think that everybody can say that, you know, across the board.

So it's going to be a tough film room session when we get back, watching the film and get some corrections.

But the sense of urgency for this team, it was already at an all-time high and all we can try to do is get back to work. The guys that we have on this team and the guys that we have on this roster, these are the guys we're going to have. We have to figure out a way to continue to come closer and do whatever we have to do to try to get a win.

Q. What do you attribute the slow start to?

DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, I just attribute it to not executing, the defense, really on all sides. I don't -- you know, I know there's going to be talk about the whole travel plans. I don't think it had anything to do with that. They hit a play on third down. They hit a screen, caught us in zero blitz and they made a play.

But like you said, we were able to get some stops in the red zone which were really good. I don't think we did well in the red zone on offense. And you know, had a turnover on special teams. You know, Kyle dropped the punt and he was able to get a field goal. That was a big stop, but he was able to get a field goal. We are just not playing complementary football which we are used to doing.

Q. 50 percent on third down, I think not going to survive that no matter how --

DERRICK HENRY: That's not good enough for our standard. That was a big thing, we talked about going into halftime is getting off the field in third downs.

Obviously we know we can get stops in the red zone but we have to be able to get off the field on third downs because that's allowing them to continue to string drives together, string drives, string plays together. So we have to be better there.

Q. Just make more plays generally, you've been on teams that made a lot of plays before. Is there something common to those teams that you're not seeing here? How is that different that you guys aren't making those play?

DERRICK HENRY: I just don't think we are executing at a high level run. At times we are to the getting enough pressure on the quarterback. We are not, you know, as far as on the back end, communicating very well. But there are times that we were. I mean, we didn't give up any -- we gave up three points in the second half, and I feel like that first half we were not executing at a high level and I think we settled into the game and played our style of defense.

But yeah, the togetherness. We have to find a way to start playing together, not just a defense but as an offense and special teams and understanding how we win ballgames.

Q. Is that something you've noticed in practice?

DERRICK HENRY: I can't say that I'm seeing it in practice because you know when you kind of get into a season, the way the practices are kind of set up, you may be dealing with injuries sometimes. Every practice rep isn't full speed, so sometimes tough to be able to replicate things that you're going to do in games, but you try to do your best in practice.

It's all about going out in the game and executing and playing.

Q. You guys talked about amping up the turnovers was an off-season theme. I know Sean managed to get one. Through six games, doesn't seem like that's come to fruition. What's missing?

DERRICK HENRY: No, it hasn't. That's something that I've been, you know, trying to figure out ways to get turnovers. I mean, I understand, you know, being a safety and being in this league for a while, they come in bunches and sometimes when you press to make turnovers, you make mistakes.

I think it starts with trying to affect the quarterback, making the quarterback uncomfortable and forcing them to make mistakes and that's how you capitalize on turnovers.

But yeah, we have to get more turnovers, if it's fumbles, hitting the guy hard enough to make the ball come out or getting interceptions off tip passes and things like that, it just has not materialized for us just yet.

But you know, the sky still isn't falling. As bad as it feels, definitely it's a frustrated locker room for sure, we are 2-4 but it's still early in the year. We are not flushing this season down the toilet just yet.

Q. (The turnovers) -- (off mic).

DERRICK HENRY: At times, yeah. Even for myself, honestly, trying to find ways to get off the field, get a turnover, you know. But that's just, you know, I have to be, you know, in my mind to make sure that I'm not pressing too much trying to get a turnover, trying to force a play to happen. You know, you just have to let plays come to you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
138093-1-1003 2023-10-15 17:25:00 GMT

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