Signing a 30-year-old running back with plenty of wear and tear from years of mixing it in the NFL looked like a risk for the Baltimore Ravens, but they needn’t be worried about Derrick Henry slowing down, according to Tom Brady.
Speaking to FOX Sports NFL after watching Henry rush for 162 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady said, “This dude doesn’t look like he’s even slowing down. We show all those stats about how electric Derrick Henry is, he looks like he’s got another 5 years in him.”
The Ravens would gladly sign on now for another five years of Henry. Such has been the dominance of the two-time league rushing champion.
Henry’s performances have taken an offense led by two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson up another level. Their prolific combination put the Steelers to the sword during a 34-17 win on Saturday, December 21.
The victory at M&T Bank Stadium gave the Ravens a chance to seize control of the AFC North from their bitter rivals. It also showed this year’s team could be unstoppable once the playoffs begin.
Tom Brady Saw Derrick Henry Impact Early vs. Steelers
From his role as an announcer for Fox Sports, Brady quickly observed why Henry was proving such a problem for a usually resolute Steelers defense. Specifically, Brady highlighted what Henry’s presence was doing to the edges of Pittsburgh’s front seven, per ESPN’s Mina Kimes.
As Kimes noted, Jackson was just as big of a factor. His threat to run had the Steelers rushing wide off the edges.
That let Henry attack inside running lanes on read-option handoffs. Jackson simply had to wait for the defensive end or outside linebacker to stay wide or crash inside.
If the edge defender slanted inside, Jackson could keep the ball and either throw or break contain and run to the outside of the pocket. Yet if the edge player stayed on the outside to cut off Jackson’s escape lane, Baltimore’s QB1 simply handed to Henry, who charged through the interior.
The effect was awesome for the Ravens, but devastating for the Steelers. Henry produced the “most explosive runs (7) by a player in a game this season,” per Next Gen Stats. He also “ran between the tackles on a season-high 62.5% of his carries, where he had 5 of his 7 explosive runs.”
Henry had the Steelers in a bind from which they never broke free. Few teams have been able to escape the trap Jackson and Henry have led them into this season.
Ravens Have Perfect One-Two Punch
Jackson might believe he should have played better, but the truth is he was close to flawless against the Steelers. Throwing three touchdown passes, to Isaiah Likely, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, showed Jackson was efficient when it counted.
Having Jackson be the closer who applied the finishing touches to drives powered by Henry showed the Ravens’ one-two punch is functioning perfectly. It’s a partnership that appears unbreakable because Jackson has stayed healthy this season, while Henry is defying father time and the narrative of running backs slowing down in their 30s.
Instead, Henry is going from strength to strength and playing his best football in the biggest games. He’s routinely dominated AFC contenders, improving the Ravens chances of going one better than last season and assuming supremacy of the conference.
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