ExtremeRavens Posted 9 hours ago Posted 9 hours ago Conventional wisdom said that Derrick Henry would be slowing down. Running backs his age almost always do. Henry, though, didn’t just deliver the Ravens a few highlights in Buffalo. He reminded everyone what Baltimore’s Super Bowl hopes ride on. A running back who turns 32 in January isn’t supposed to hit 21.07 mph on a 46-yard fourth-quarter rushing touchdown. For a veteran with nearly 2,400 career carries, that kind of burst isn’t normal. But for Henry, his latest performance served as validation that the tank isn’t empty yet. The Ravens didn’t bring Henry here to be ordinary, either. They brought him to be an elite difference-maker, to carry a load that once fell too often on quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. And if the Ravens are going to make a special run this season, it will be because Henry’s legs keep churning. On a night when Baltimore’s collapse stole the headlines, Henry was the one silver lining. His 169 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 9.4 yards per carry represented evidence that, even in a disastrous defeat, the dynamic one-two punch of Jackson and Henry is the most punishing duo in football. If the Ravens are going to make a push for the franchise’s third Super Bowl title, it’ll be because Henry is still his dominant self. In Week 1, he was nearly unstoppable until his infamous turnover late in the fourth quarter. His fumble was part of the offense turtling over the final two drives. But earlier in the contest, coordinator Todd Monken leaned into Henry and married his calls with Jackson’s effective play-action and option looks. Add in Zay Flowers blossoming into a true No. 1 receiver, and Baltimore’s offense looked terrifying before everything unraveled. Even after Sunday, though, the respect isn’t universal. Ravens running back Derrick Henry breaks a tackle by Bills safety Cole Bishop during Sunday's season opener in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) How difficult is Henry to tackle? Browns safety Grant Delpit was prompted Wednesday by local reporters. He didn’t flinch. “Not hard,” Delpit replied. Count that as bulletin-board material for the 252-pound back, who has built an illustrious career by stiff-arming and pulverizing opponents. Team sources indicated to The Baltimore Sun that Henry, a four-time All-Pro selection, had strong feelings about Delpit’s comments, but publicly, he kept his remarks short. “I saw that,” Henry said. “His coach had a quote. He had a quote. We’ll see on Sunday.” History shows repeatedly that running backs don’t ease into decline. The drop-off is almost never gradual, but sudden and unforgiving. Frank Gore was the last 32-year-old tailback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards back in 2016. Baltimore bet that Henry could be the exception when they awarded him a two-year contract worth $30 million last offseason. Each carry moving forward will be measured against that reality. Can Henry hit 21-plus mph in December? Can he still close games and silence stadiums, the way he did in Buffalo when a frustrated fan threw a frozen water bottle at his feet? Thus far, Henry continues to turn the clock back and defy those odds. Henry made it abundantly clear this week that last year’s success, when he rushed for a whopping 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns, is in the rear-view mirror. The same should be true of Baltimore’s epic collapse at Buffalo. “Last year don’t matter,” Henry said. “We just need to focus on the present, what we need to do to help us win. Focus on being efficient, doing our job effectively and put ourselves in the best position to win. Last year is last year.” The Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes aren’t complicated. Baltimore’s season hinges on whether the defense can shake off Buffalo’s meltdown and whether Henry and Jackson can stay upright long enough to finish the job. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article Quote
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