NFL Roundtable: Is Derrick Henry destined for the Hall of Fame?

Each week we sit down with BetAmerica Extra columnists Ashley Anderson, James Scully, and Scott Shapiro to discuss the latest news and trends from around the National Football League. This week they weigh in on Pittsburgh's hot start, Adam Gase's hot seat, and Derrick Henry's legacy.

The Steelers are 5-0 for just the second time in franchise history. What has been the key to Pittsburgh’s success?

Ashley: Part of Pittsburgh’s good fortune has been its soft early-season schedule. The other factor has been the Steelers’ excellent pass rush (league-high 24 sacks) and a versatile offense featuring a bevy of weapons at receiver and running back. Any number of players can step up on a given night, from James Conner to Benny Snell Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, or rookie Chase Claypool, who has exploded for 184 yards receiving, and five total touchdowns over the past two games. The next two games, both on the road against Tennessee and Baltimore, will tell us a lot more about this Pittsburgh team and what we can realistically expect from them in 2020.

James: The passing game. Pittsburgh won eight games last year despite a revolving door of backup quarterbacks, leaning upon a strong defense and offensive line. Ben Roethlisberger has now returned and is in top form, exploiting defensive mismatches with a deep group of weapons. The Steelers added two key players in the offseason, rookie receiver Chase Claypool and free-agent tight end Eric Ebron, and they are one of the league’s top five scoring teams, averaging 31.2 points per game.

Scott: The Steelers are off to a 5-0 start for a number of reasons, but the return of QB Ben Roethlisberger tops the list. The Future Hall of Famer has not thrown the ball vertically as much as he has in years’ past, but he has been extremely efficient. Big Ben has completed 69.1% of his passes and has thrown 11 TD’s and just one interception through five games. Pittsburgh’s front seven remains elite, but the biggest difference in 2020 has been the return of their longtime signal caller.

There’s infighting in the Big Apple after the Jets fell to 0-6. Is it time for New York to part ways with Adam Gase?

Ashley: The Jets desperately need a culture change, and Gase never seemed like a wise hire in the first place, after he went 23-25 as the Dolphins' head coach. One could argue the Jets should keep Gase and tank for Trevor Lawrence, because there is no saving the season, either way. On the other hand, players and coaches are both unhappy, and the Texans and Falcons both saw immediate positive results, after they fired their longtime head coaches earlier this season.

James: It’s past time. Ownership doesn’t like to make coaching changes during the season, but this year should be an exception. The Jets continue to sink to new lows, showing up with a disheartening performance in a 24-0 loss to Miami in Week 6, and the only viable reason to keep Gase would be to ensure future losses so they can draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick. However, that would be a bad look for the Jets front office.

It is definitely time for the Jets to part ways with Adam Gase. Not only are they by far the worst team in the NFL through six games with no hope in sight, but they lack discipline and their young players are not improving. However, if their goal is to land Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft, they may be best off keeping Gase at the helm until the end of the year. That would ensure them ending the season with the worst overall record.

True or false: Derrick Henry is a future hall of famer.

Ashley: Potentially true. Henry has picked up where he left off in last year’s surprise playoff run, where he finished with 446 rushing yards, the sixth-most by a running back in a single postseason. Henry also led the league in rushing yards and tied with Aaron Jones for the most rushing scores in 2019. The Titans back is on track to again top the league in both categories. If he continues to dominate defenses like he has the past two years, he’ll make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it’s too soon to tell with just two seasons of solid production.

James: True. Derrick Henry rushed for 212 yards, and added 52 receiving yards, leading Tennessee to a 42-36 overtime win over Houston in Week 6. It marked the 10th time in the last 14 games he’s rushed for more than 100 yards, and Henry is a big, bruising back with blazing speed. His 94-yard touchdown dash was a beauty to behold. The statistics make a Hall of Fame case for the fifth-year running back, and Henry deserves credit for carrying his team to playoff victories, compiling 182 and 195 rushing yards in respective road wins over New England and Baltimore last season.

Scott: False. Derrick Henry is a unique talent and hard to tackle, but he has a long way to go before he is considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner has topped 1,000 yards just twice in five pro seasons and does very little work in the passing game. If Jerome Bettis has yet to be inducted in Canton, Henry is going to need several more elite seasons to earn a gold jacket.

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