H
e beat up the Buffalo Bills all night, en route to 209 total yards, but Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry can’t forget about one play that got away in Week 4.
Henry finished just a single yard shy of 200 on the ground during the 35-10 win at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 29. The two-time NFL rushing champion blamed his late fumble in the end zone for the near miss.
Although backfield mate Patrick Ricard recovered the fumble for a Ravens touchdown, Henry told the NBC broadcast (h/t “Ravens Vault” co-host Sarah Ellison), “If I wouldn’t have fumbled on that touchdown. Man, that’s gonna haunt me for a long time.”
The fact Henry would choose to focus on a rare miscue from a night when he was nearly perfect, speaks volumes about the standards he’s set for himself. Those standards are why the 30-year-old has arguably been the best running back of his generation.
Henry’s quest for perfection will leave him sleepless, according to Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink: “Derrick Henry said he might not sleep tonight because of his goal-line fumble. He’s not joking. He told me it’s going to bother him for a while. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
Fortunately for Henry, he’ll get plenty of chances to make amends in a Ravens offense increasingly geared to unleashing his talents.
Ravens Becoming Derrick Henry’s Team
Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is still the face of the franchise, but the Ravens are slowly becoming Henry’s team. He carried the ball 24 times against the Bills, one week after logging 25 rushes during a 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
By contrast, Jackson has attempted a mere 33 passes over that same time span. It makes sense for the Ravens to unleash heavier doses of Henry when defenses remain almost powerless to stop him.
The Bills had no answers from the moment Henry ripped off the longest run in Ravens history, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That 87-yard scoring scamper summed up everything great about Henry’s game. Namely, how the 6-foot-2, 247-pounder combines fearsome downhill power with almost unfathomable, wide receiver-type speed.
To put that last sentence into perspective, consider how the top speed of 21.29 mph Henry reached on this play was only “Henry’s 8th-fastest speed since 2018.”
That’s according to Next Gen Stats, with the same source also noting “Henry has reached 20+ mph 27 times as a ball carrier since 2018, trailing only Tyreek Hill (73).”
Keeping pace with Miami Dolphins All-Pro speedster Hill is ample proof of Henry’s explosiveness. It’s also one reason why Henry averaged 8.3 yards per carry against Buffalo.
The other reason involves the work of those ahead of No. 22 in the Ravens’ ground-and-pound offense.
Bills Bludgeoned by Ravens Blockers
Henry was in his element against the Bills, but he still benefited from some awesome blocking up front. Buffalo’s front seven was simply bludgeoned by Ricard, tight ends Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar, as well as an offensive line finally putting its size advantage to good use.
Henry’s opening touchdown was the perfect showcase of how thoroughly the Ravens dominated in the trenches. This screenshot from Ellison shows Ricard and Co. disappearing defenders. As Ellison put it, “Derrick is the King, but you don’t need to be the King to run through a hole like this.”
Far from an isolated example, this hole was typical of what Henry, Jackson and third-down back Justice Hill saw all night. Running lanes this inviting helped the Ravens amass 271 yards on the ground.
Big gains on the deck became common because Ravens’ blockers kept runners clean until late into plays. An average of 5.18 yards before contact per carry, according to TruMedia (h/t The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer), was the ultimate tribute to how those up front owned the line of scrimmage.
Superior blocking and Henry’s punishing running style form a bruising combination no team in the league will relish trying to stop. It’s a potent mix capable of at last putting the Ravens over the hump in their quest to reach a Super Bowl.
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