Titans' Derrick Henry scores first two touchdowns of 2017 NFL preseason

Derrick Henry scored his first two touchdowns of the NFL preseason Saturday in the Titans' 34-27 victory against the Carolina Panthers.

Henry, who has been the Titans' de facto starter at running back with veteran DeMarco Murray missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury, rumbled 17 yards to the end zone with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter.

For precautionary reasons, Murray didn't play Saturday as expected. 

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"Derrick ran the ball effectively," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "Some of those guys were unblocked. I thought he did a good job of stiff-arming, which is one of the things he does well. But he's tough to bring down if you're trying to tackle him high. That's a tough job.

"He did better in protection than he did last week. That's as important as anything that he protects our quarterback, and he did that." 

The second-year pro later powered into the end zone on a one-yard run with 4:40 left in the second quarter. Henry concluded Saturday's game with 36 yards on 16 carries, an average of 2.25 yards per carry, and the two touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 17 yards. 

"Their defense is built on stopping the run," Henry said. "As soon as they see the ball being handed off, they shoot those gaps very fast. With that defense, you've just got to be patient until everything opens up, hit it and then just try to do what you can."

The 23-year-old missed an earlier opportunity to score in the first quarter. On first-and-1 from the Panthers' 1-yard line, Carolina's defense stuffed him for a 3-yard loss. 

Tennessee's offense scored on four of its first five possessions Saturday, with Henry's rushing touchdowns punctuating the third and fourth scoring drives. 

"We want to be an explosive team that's on the field every game," Henry said "That's what we pride (ourselves) on. That's what we teach every day at practice. That's what we want to do. That's who we want to be, anytime, anywhere, anyplace against anybody."

Reach Adam Vingan at avingan@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamVingan.