ExtremeRavens Posted December 12 Posted December 12 The temperature dipped into the 30s at the Ravens’ practice facility Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills. Typical December weather. And if history is any indication, Derrick Henry is just starting to warm up. For all of the 30-year-old’s accolades — four-time Pro Bowl selection, one-time All-Pro, two-time NFL rushing touchdowns and yardage champ — one of the more pronounced achievements in his growing list of them is his proclivity to save his best football for last. Over 31 career games he has played in December, Henry has rushed for 2,769 yards and 30 touchdowns on 545 carries (5.1 yards per carry), which are more than he’s produced in any other full month during the regular season in his eight-plus years in the league. He has also thrived in January, averaging 5.9 yards per carry with 144.3 rushing yards over four career games. On one hand, it might seem surprising that Henry’s best production has come after he has put substantial mileage on his otherwise statuesque physique. But there’s also the wear on those trying to tackle the 6-foot-3, 247-pound behemoth. Which is why with three games in 11 days beginning Sunday against the New York Giants, followed by a hugely important AFC North showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers and then wrapping up with a Christmas tilt against the Houston Texans, Henry should get plenty of opportunities. “Derrick hasn’t had a lot of carries, a lot of wear and tear on him this year, so I think it’s set up perfectly for him to finish the year like he’s capable of and what we expect out of him,” Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart said. “Derrick is fresh right now. “I think the way he trains himself, the way he practices, the way he prepares, he’s going to be ready to finish the year like we need him to.” Already, Henry is second in the NFL with 1,407 rushing yards and tied for the league lead with 15 touchdowns. His 672 yards after contact, meanwhile, are best in the league, as are his 2.8 yards per attempt after contact and 28 broken tackles. His next score will also set a franchise record for touchdowns in a season, which he currently shares with Ray Rice (2011) and Mark Ingram II (2019). Yet, the Ravens have been mindful of not using him too much, too soon. The Ravens have been careful not to give running back Derrick Henry too much of a workload before the postseason. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Coach John Harbaugh made it clear at the beginning of the season that Henry would not be a back who carries the ball 30 times a game. With just 240 carries across 13 games, he’s held to that. Only once — in a Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys, when he rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns — has he carried the ball at least 25 times. In eight other games, he’s had 19 or fewer carries. Five of those occasions have come in the Ravens’ past seven games, including their most recent Dec. 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he had 19 carries for 82 yards in a loss. Once on pace for a 2,000-yard season, Henry’s numbers have dipped of late, with 82 or fewer yards in three of the past four games, and he has played just 55% of the offensive snaps this season. But that likely won’t be the norm going forward. “We’re going to try to run the ball as much as we can, and so much of running the ball has to do with how many plays you get, and getting in a rhythm, and getting an opportunity to call more plays,” Harbaugh said before the Ravens’ bye last week. “Derrick is our lead back, no doubt, obviously, and he only gets stronger as the game goes on, so we want to run the ball.” Once Henry returned to work earlier this week, gone were his signature dreadlocks, shorn off in favor of corn rows. He said Thursday that it was something that he’s been wanting to do “for a while” and joked that it made him feel lighter. He also had no explanation for his late-season success. “The players I’ve played with [have done] a great job, and [they’ve made] my job easier,” he said. “For me to do my job, the guys up front have to do a great job, and credit that. “That’s happened in the past, but [I’m] just focused on the right now. I know there’s this December history, but I’m just focused on me playing better, being better and being the best player I can [be] to help this team.” Which is why Baltimore would do well to lean on Henry as the weather gets colder, opponents get beat up and conditions get potentially tougher to throw the ball in. After all, it’s part of why the Ravens signed Henry to a two-year, $18 million deal this offseason. So it seems unlikely that he wouldn’t get the ball down the stretch and more importantly in the playoffs, especially after Baltimore backs infamously got just six carries in last season’s AFC championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Make no mistake, Henry didn’t come here for that, either. “He wants the ball,” Taggart said. “Derrick wants the ball whenever. Whether it’s the beginning of the game, at the end of the game, at halftime, after the game, he wants the ball.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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