Will Cincinnati Bengals run defense continue recent success vs. Tennessee's Derrick Henry?

Cincinnati Bengals third-year defensive end Joseph Ossai admitted the defense got a proverbial pat on the back at the start of Wednesday's meetings for its performance in Monday's 19-16 win over the Rams.

It didn't last too long, though.

"It (the meeting) was also like, what can we clean up? There's a bunch to clean up," Ossai said. "That's even more exciting because we know we can be even better, as dominant as we were. I'm looking forward to that this season."

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Outside of Joe Burrow's calf, the Bengals' run defense was a key storyline throughout the team's 0-2 start. On Monday, the Bengals were able to play with the lead for the first time this season and forced the Rams to be one-dimensional on offense. Rams' running back Kyren Williams finished with just 10 runs for 38 yards.

The Bengals still rank tied for 31st (with Pittsburgh) in run defense, yielding 151.7 yards per game. They've allowed 4.4 yards-per-carry to running backs thus far and they have another tall task on deck Sunday when they visit the Titans and running back Derrick Henry at Nissan Stadium.

"I know coach (Mike) Vrabel down there pretty well and I'm quite sure (number) 22 (Henry), he's going to get the ball more than 11 times," Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Wednesday.

Zac Taylor added: "If you allow him (Henry) to break through the line of scrimmage, it's a real problem. Once he gets moving, it's like a freight train."

Henry, a first-team All-Pro, has run for more than 1,500 yards three times in the last four seasons and has scored double-digit touchdowns for five straight years. If there's one unit he's struggled against, it's Anarumo's.

In the last two meetings against the Bengals, Henry has averaged just 2.7 yards-per-carry. It started when Henry played with a steel plate in his right foot during the 2021 playoffs against the Bengals. He managed just 62 yards on 20 carries and was stopped on a two-point conversion in the first half and a pivotal fourth down late in the game. Last season, the Bengals held Henry to just 38 yards on 17 attempts in a 20-16 road victory.

What's been the secret to slowing down one of the league's top backs?

"We're great at tackling. We take pride in that," Ossai said. "That's what we're gonna work on this week: tackling and just get him down. Hit his legs. Of course (tackling him before he gets going). That's a credit to those guys inside because they like to run stretch − get that running back going sideways, then he cuts up. That defensive line, the interior, does a good job of closing those gaps and taking advantage of 1-on-1s."

Henry and the Titans have struggled mightily on offense through the first three weeks. Henry is averaging just 3.2 yards-per-carry with just one touchdown. In Sunday's 27-3 loss to Cleveland, he was held to 20 yards on 11 attempts. Third-round rookie running back Tyjae Spears has out-snapped Henry in two of the first three games.

"He (Spears) is a good player, especially on third down and (pass) protection and he will block you," Anarumo said. "He'll run a good rate, he's a good runner. They got themselves one there. I think he's a good player and yes, good change of pace back, too."

Anarumo expects Tennessee to give Henry a bigger workload on Sunday, but the Bengals will want to follow a similar script as Monday night. The Titans can ill-afford to be one-dimensional as quarterback Ryan Tannehill ranks 32nd in QBR (27.9), 29th in completion percentage (59.0) and 30th in passer rating (67.7) through three weeks. The Bengals defensive line would want nothing more than to pin their ears back for a second consecutive game.

"We've got some stuff and I'm sure Lou (Anarumo) has a bunch of stuff dialed up for him as the gameplan goes on," said Ossai, who feels 100% after limited work on Monday. "We'll see."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals run defense matchup vs Titans Derrick Henry again