The Baltimore Ravens might be without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the near future, which means they might need to lean on their ground game even more. The good news? Derrick Henry and the Baltimore backfield should be well rested.
The 1-3 Ravens might be without Jackson, who has a hamstring injury, for a few weeks. That might mean a bigger workload for Henry, who has been seldomly used this season. In fact, Baltimore has ignored the bell cow back so often that ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky felt compelled to post a video that expressed his shock and dismay over Baltimore’s early-down play-calling.
I found this out about the Ravens, and it absolutely shocked me,” Orlovsky said in a video posted to X on Oct. 2 ahead of the Ravens‘ Week 5 game. Month into the season, the Baltimore Ravens with Derrick Henry, are the 32nd-ranked offense in the NFL when it comes to giving the ball to their running back on first and second down.
“Meaning, they run the football on first and second down with their running backs the least of everybody in the NFL. Yet, when they do it, they’re second in yards per carry at six.”
Ravens Using Derrick Henry at Shockingly Low Rate
It is slightly jarring to see Henry’s usage through the first four games. Four times in his career, the Alabama product has led the league in rushing attempts. Yet, he has just 49 carries through the first quarter or so of the season, with just a combined 31 over the last three weeks. Unsurprisingly, he has struggled to get going, averaging 3.7 yards per carry after running for 169 yards on 18 carries in the season opener at Buffalo.
That usage reached a new low in Week 4 against Kansas City. The Ravens handed it off to their star back just eight times. Certainly, Baltimore could have done more to get him involved early, but the Ravens were trailing 20-7 in the second quarter, which puts the emphasis back on the passing game. On top of that, there was also the Jackson injury that basically made the entire game a wash for John Harbaugh’s team.
Ravens’ Injury Report Complicates Henry Situation
Injuries beyond Jackson are worth considering, too. Tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard have yet to play this season, and they’re both key cogs in the running attack. But as ESPN’s Marcus Spears pointed out, the Ravens also have a ton of injuries on defense. By giving the ball to Henry more often, they could shorten games and make it easier on that depleted unit, too.
“What’s your best formula right now? You have to play for what’s going on,” Spears said on ESPN this week. “You got seven people injured on defense, and you consistently want to push the ball down the field, and you’re not winning doing that. Again, I understand the draw to want Lamar to make plays and push the ball down the field, (but) you did not sign this man to be tied for 24th in carries five weeks into the season. If his career wasn’t made on volume, we wouldn’t have this argument. He gets better the more touches he has.”
One final question worth asking: Do the Ravens trust Henry right now, and is that part of the problem? The 31-year-old, who fumbled just three times combined over the previous two seasons, has already coughed it up three times this season. Two of those were absolute backbreakers.
Perhaps that’s on the mind of offensive coordinator Todd Monken but given the way things have played out and with Jackson likely on the shelf, it might be time to give Henry another shot early and often, starting Week 5 against Houston.
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