Derrick Henry’s vintage eruption powers Ravens past Packers — and painfully exposes Baltimore’s biggest mistake of the season
Derrick Henry’s dominance on Saturday night is as bittersweet as it gets.
The Baltimore Ravens did their part on Saturday night to keep their season alive. Baltimore’s offense romped through the Green Bay Packers defense despite not having quarterback Lamar Jackson on-hand — with running back Derrick Henry erupting for more than 100 rushing yards in the first half before dealing a final blow with his fourth touchdown run of the evening. The Ravens defeated the Packers 41-24 to move to 8-8.
Credit to Baltimore. They showed up in a big way in a tough spot. But the Henry performance is still a bit bittersweet for the Ravens – considering Henry’s disappearing act last week against the New England Patriots.
Derrick Henry’s dominant run in Green Bay only makes the Patriots loss hurt worse
The Ravens, playing with a lead in the second half with their backup quarterback in the game, fueled Derrick Henry the football on Saturday night. Cold weather football is Derrick Henry season, after all. Many of the conditions of Baltimore’s win in Green Bay mirrored the circumstances the week prior, when Henry scored to put the Ravens up 24-13 early in the fourth quarter against the Patriots. Henry was never seen again in that game and the Ravens lost.
Adjustments were made. Coach John Harbaugh said in the aftermath of the New England loss that the Ravens have a rotation at running back and swapping personnel in real time is a little bit more complicated than just putting Henry out there.
“I’m not trying to make excuses for it, but I am trying to put it in perspective. That’s how it works,” Harbaugh said last Monday.
The Ravens seemed to figure out the complications of it all in time for Green Bay. Henry set a career-high in rush attempts (36) against the Packers. He was on the field to start drives, he was inserted mid-drive, and he was given the chance to be the bell cow he’s been so notoriously known for as an NFL runner. Henry’s average yards per carry in December is 5.26 yards. It’s over 6 yards per carry in January. This is who he is. This is who the Ravens paid him to be.
And it’s great to see them remember that with their season on the line.
But it also makes their unfortunate lapse last week that much more painful, because it’s the kind of miscue that could ultimately cost them the postseason. All of these Derrick Henry heroics could be for nothing if the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Cleveland Browns today. It would render the Week 18 rematch between the Steelers and the Ravens as meaningless — and the Ravens guaranteed to be staying home this January. It shouldn’t have needed a Derrick Henry disappearing act in a pivotal loss to remind the Ravens who they have and what they’re paying him to be. But it did. And the end result may be the most bittersweet 200 yard, 4 touchdown rushing performance in franchise history.
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