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Derrick Henry's return from injury has been one of the most anticipated moments of the NFL season. Henry was undoubtedly the best rusher in the NFL before he went down with a knee injury in Week 8. The pace he ran at was so incredible he finished the regular season ranked 12th in the league in rushing yards.
The Tennessee Titans have been waiting ever since for their superstar running back to return to the lineup. They face the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Henry spoke to the media Wednesday, and without blatantly saying he was playing, hinted that he's playing. That is fantastic news for the Titans, who are the top seed in the AFC.
Derrick Henry will play against the Bengals in the divisional round
Derrick Henry is the final missing piece for the Titans, who have got Julio Jones and AJ Brown healthy over the last couple of weeks. All signs point to Henry being removed from IR on Friday after practicing throughout the week.
While healthy, Henry's arguably the most difficult player in the NFL to tackle. Henry's size and strength combined with his unearthly athleticism make him a generational talent.
As NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe mentioned on Twitter, the Titans went on the hottest streak in the NFL this season when they had Henry, Jones and Brown playing together.
The Titans' offense continued to rush the ball well after Henry's injury. D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard ran for 4.3 and 6.3 yards per carry, respectively.
Ryan Tannehill will benefit the most from Henry's return against the Bengals. Henry's presence allows Tannehill to utilize the play-action game and take the pressure off him, Brown and Jones.
The Bengals are a trendy pick by fans and media alike to upset the top-seed Titans. After Joe Burrow delivered on his playoff debut in the wild-card round, the Bengals are a team more and more people are picking to win.
Derrick Henry's return could sway that opinion. After Henry is inevitably activated off IR on Friday, we'll likely find out how much of an impact he expects to make. Even if Henry isn't at 100 percent, the Bengals must pay attention to him at every snap.
The Titans earned the No. 1 seed in the conference without Henry. With him back in the lineup, they have the ceiling of a Super Bowl-winning team.
