July 15, 2024, 4:39 p.m
Derrick Henry sees the Ravens as his best chance to not leave the sport empty-handed
OWINGS MILLS — During one of the first practices of the spring, wide receiver Zay Flowers found himself in a precarious position.
As the Baltimore Ravens ran a running play to the outside, he turned and saw the 6-foot-2, 247-pound running back, Derrick Henrycharging full steam in their direction.
The Ravens are betting that Derrick Henry can break the trend of decline and lack of production that characterizes running backs as they reach their age. Kevin Richardson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Flowers immediately jumped to the side.
“I could hear you screaming,” Henry told Flowers.
“I had to get out of the way,” Flowers replied.
Henry, Baltimore’s biggest free-agent acquisition this offseason, creates something the Ravens’ backfield has been lacking: fear.
Stories of Henry burying defensive backs in the dirt and running over linebackers are well-known in Baltimore. The Ravens’ impressive 2019 campaign — winning the AFC North with a 14-2 record — was derailed by Henry’s dominance of Baltimore’s defense in the divisional round, including a vicious stiff-arm on safety Earl Thomas.
Who remembers this Derrick Henry stiff arm from the #NFLPlayoffs last year?! ????
The @Titans meet the Ravens again on Sunday. ???? pic.twitter.com/LQwBxMrKsM
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) January 8, 2021
While there has been debate that Henry has lost steam at age 30, the Ravens believe that pairing the two-time NFL rushing leader with two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will catapult Baltimore over its postseason hump and back to the Super Bowl.
Much of the blame for the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game has been placed on a lack of running the ball. Team officials have tried throughout the offseason to explain why Jackson handed the ball to his running backs just six times in the loss. But Baltimore’s best response to his commitment to the running game came on March 12, when the Ravens agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with Henry.
“It’s going to be scary,” the Ravens middle linebacker warned, Roquan Smith“I told a couple of my friends during the offseason, maybe I’ll get some popcorn on the sideline while I’m watching those guys work.
“I think it’s a great piece that we added, and it’s going to help us get to where we want to be.”
Henry’s resume includes six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from scrimmage and double-digit touchdown passes. It’s a level of consistent production the Ravens have never had. In Jackson’s six seasons, Baltimore has had just one 1,000-yard rusher — Mark Ingram in 2019 — but no one who comes close to matching Henry’s running style.
On his excitement at playing alongside Henry, Jackson noted, “I just get the ball and say, ‘Come on, big guy, go.’ I’ll be cheering like the fans.”
The Ravens have had the most dominant running attack in the NFL in recent years, without having a dominant running back.
It’s been Jackson who has elevated Baltimore’s ground game, leading the team in rushing in each of the past five seasons, an NFL record for a quarterback. That streak includes Ingram’s Pro Bowl campaign in 2019, and is one reason no Ravens running back has carried the ball more than 202 times since Jackson became the starting quarterback midway through the 2018 season.
Baltimore’s workload split doesn’t fit with the typical game plan involving Henry, who has always carried the Tennessee Titans’ running game. He has led the NFL in rushing in four of the past five seasons, averaging 305 carries in each year of that span.
“Well, I know this: if [Henry] “If he’s running it 300 times, we’re going to have a fantastic year, I can tell you that,” Ravens defensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “It means we’re running a lot. It means we’re up in games. We want him to finish games and we want him to be the closer.”
ON THE FINAL DAY of Ravens minicamp, head coach John Harbaugh was asked if there was any concern about the wear and tear Henry has accumulated over his eight years as a pro.
“I saw the wear and tear that he put on defenses, including ours, over the years,” Harbaugh responded.
The Ravens are banking on Henry to break the trend of aging running backs. Over the past decade, only three running backs have produced 1,000 rushing yards at age 30 or older: Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore y Raheem Mostert.
Last season, at 29, Henry had one of his worst seasons in recent memory, raising questions about his age and decline. His averages for rushing yards per game (68.6) and yards per carry (4.2) were his worst since 2018.
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But Henry’s struggles could be a result of the Titans’ below-average offensive line rather than his running ability. He had 106 carries where he was contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Still, he has speed. Henry’s four carries on which he reached a speed of at least 20 mph tied him for fourth among running backs. Still, he is capable of breaking tackles. Henry’s yards after first contact average last season (2.21) ranked first in the NFL.
“I have a huge amount of respect for him and all the things he’s done, and I still see a lot of tread left in his tires,” Smith revealed. “So, I’m just excited for him to show the world exactly what he can do.”
Baltimore believes Henry can maintain high production because of what they described as an “elite” work ethic. Henry reported for the first day of the offseason workout program and participated in the first session of organized team activities.
“It’s very important to me to earn the respect of my teammates,” Henry said. “All I want to do is earn the respect of everyone in this building and show them that I’m ready to come to work, help everyone get better in any way I can, be a leader in any way, the way I carry myself and the way I work on the field, in the gym, and being attentive in meetings.”
Henry’s tenacious offseason workouts often go viral. In May, a social media post showing Henry running uphill on an incline behind the end zone at SMU’s stadium received 345,000 views.
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It’s the same mentality Henry brings to the Ravens’ weight room.
“He attacks everything with such a high level of intent; intent with tenacity,” said Ravens strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Elliott. “That’s why he’s Derrick Henry. That’s why we’re going to help him continue on that same trajectory.
“He’s had a great career, and our goal is to make him even better here. It’s not about age, it’s not about years of service, it’s not about anything like that. He just keeps getting better and better.”
NO RUNNER over the past decade has averaged more rushing yards (85.3) against Baltimore, including the playoffs, than Henry.
But the Ravens weren’t prepared to see the serious side of him during the spring. A mistake in an offseason workout ruined his day.
“It literally makes him mad if he does something wrong,” Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart said.
The coaches remind Henry that it’s just practice. The coaches try to comfort him, pointing out that everyone makes mistakes.
“One thing about Derrick, he works,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a worker, 100 percent every day, focused, asking questions, ready for practice, in the gym, therapy room. I’m very impressed. This guy is a true professional, a consummate professional.”
Even when Henry couldn’t attend a voluntary practice, coaches still heard from him. He wanted to know everything that was going on. He would text Taggart about the plays they were running that day, or a question about what he saw on the videos of that practice.
“He doesn’t come in here feeling like, ‘Hey, I’ve done this; I’ve done that.’ You don’t see any of that,” Taggart said. “It seems like he’s been a Raven his whole life. He can fit right into the group. It’s been great.
“You can assume that a guy who’s had so much success is going to come in and have his way of doing things. Derrick wants to understand how we do things, and he wants to do everything he can to help his team win a championship.”
AFTER HENRY and the Titans ended Baltimore’s promising 2019 season, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta met with his coaches at the Pro Bowl. DeCosta was struck by what he saw from Henry.
“I saw his humility,” DeCosta said. “This is a guy who ran for — I don’t know how many yards that season.” [1,540]– and all the players gravitated toward him that week, and it was tremendous respect.
“That resonated with me as a guy who does scouting for a job, and having the opportunity to step back and see how your career develops has been awesome for me.”
DeCosta tried to acquire Henry at last year’s trade deadline and thought there was a “reasonable chance” of doing so. After the disappointment of not landing Henry last season, the Ravens targeted Henry in one of the deepest free-agent running back classes in recent years.
But not all of the Ravens were sold on having Henry in Baltimore. The Ravens have run their offense primarily out of the pistol formation, and Henry has traditionally lined up in an offense where the quarterback has been under center.
“I’m not going to lie, I questioned that until he got here,” Taggart said, “and then I saw that big man move his feet and I was like, ‘Wow.’ It’s really impressive for a guy that size to move the way he does.”
For Henry, it’s a new team, a new offense and a new opportunity. Many of the Ravens’ players see Henry as the final piece to winning a championship. Henry sees the Ravens as his best chance to not leave the sport empty-handed.
“I just love playing this game, and I’m going to keep playing until I feel like my time is up,” Henry explained. “I’m excited for a great organization… I really want to hold that trophy at the end of the season.”
2024-07-15 20:55:24
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