ExtremeRavens Posted 20 hours ago Posted 20 hours ago Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of comfort, filled with tradition, familiar flavors and second (maybe even third) helpings of what always works. But on Thursday evening at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens sat down at their own dinner table, found the one dish everyone loves, and inexplicably stopped serving the goods in front of a national audience. Derrick Henry’s 28-yard touchdown rush on just his third carry of the game jump-started the Ravens to a 7-3 lead over the Bengals. It marked not only much-needed confidence for a struggling unit, but also the team’s first opening-drive touchdown since Sept. 28. Henry looked every bit powerful and explosive as his oft-criticized offensive line paved a hole for him to scamper through and turn on the jets. And then the Ravens — and coordinator Todd Monken — stopped using their star player who had just proven he was the most effective playmaker on the field. Over the following 21 minutes, 33 seconds, Henry received just two more carries. By halftime, he had been shelved in an offense that seemed determined to throw despite Lamar Jackson’s continued struggles. Why stop serving the goods, Mr. Monken? It was an especially puzzling approach against a Cincinnati defense that entered the Week 13 matchup ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed and 31st in run defense. If there was ever a get-right spot for the Ravens’ offense, this was it. If you were confused by Henry’s usage while eating Thanksgiving leftovers from the living room couch, you weren’t the only one. “I thought the run game, especially early on, got Derrick going,” veteran offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “I think we’ve got to just keep the momentum going and make sure that’s our identity and make it work.” Baltimore wasn’t forced to veer away from the run game because of the game script, either. While the Ravens committed a season-high five turnovers, they never trailed by two possessions until the third quarter. Henry finished with 60 rushing yards across just 10 carries. His 10 rushes were his second fewest this season (he had eight against Kansas City in Week 4). Before this season, Henry hadn’t finished a game with 10 or less carries since Nov. 19, 2023 as a member of the Tennessee Titans. “Naturally, I want take advantage of the opportunities I get,” Henry said. “I’m not one to cry in the media or complain. Whatever I get, try to take advantage of it. … We have to be better. We were not the team we needed to be today to win.” Said Stanley: “Not enough production. We weren’t finishing drives. Too many mistakes. A lot of the things we’ve been battling.” Meanwhile, Jackson’s slump continued. His 65.4 passer rating reflected another uncharacteristic night of multiple misfires and mistakes. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player struggled versus the blitz again, too, completing just three of eight passes against five-man pressures, according to TruMedia. Jackson closes November with five turnovers and just one passing touchdown with zero rushing touchdowns. The 28-year-old quarterback’s recent struggles and health issues place even more emphasis on Monken’s questionable play calling. Monken’s decision to abandon the run game was reminiscent of the team’s loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship in January 2024, when tailbacks Justice Hill and Gus Edward combined for just six carries. While the stakes weren’t as high in the Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals that ended the team’s five-game winning streak, the effect and total level of frustration felt eerily similar. Asked if he was pleased how frequently the Ravens ran the ball against the Bengals, coach John Harbaugh replied: “You try to do what you can do to win the game. If they’re going to put a bunch of people up there — we had a lot of open guys, and you saw opportunities to score. I think we had two of them called back that were the result of throwing the ball against the looks they were giving us. So, it’s a matter of finishing those plays and putting them in the end zone.” Fair enough. But like everyone else watching, Monken should’ve noticed that Jackson wasn’t on point, a familiar tune to his performances in recent weeks. Ravens running back Derrick Henry scores on a 22-yard run in the first quarter. Henry only received 10 carries in Baltimore's 32-14 loss to the Bengals. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Why not aid his struggling superstar quarterback with more touches for his not-so struggling superstar running back, especially after Henry erased a two-month long bugaboo with his opening drive score? It’s not like Henry’s slowing down, either. Since Jackson returned to the starting lineup in Week 9, Henry had averaged 90.3 yards per game. Baltimore’s change-of-pace tailback, Keaton Mitchell, scored the team’s other touchdown, but only had two carries for 19 yards. Between Henry and Mitchell, the Ravens rushed just 12 times against one of the league’s worst run defenses. Sometimes, you’ve just got to keep on serving the goods. “It’s very frustrating,” Stanley said. “I’ve been around football a bit, played a while, and just understanding the type of personnel we have, that’s just not our standard.” Moving forward, all focus remains on winning the AFC North title. The Ravens have three division contests remaining over their final five regular-season games, including next Sunday’s home matchup against the Steelers. How much will that automatic playoff berth truly matter, though, if the offense can’t stop getting in its own way? On Thanksgiving night, with Baltimore-Cincinnati featured as the NFL’s grand finale, the Ravens had the proper ingredients for a straightforward win, but Monken left Henry cooling far too long on the table. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. A very clearly frustrated Ronnie Stanley on the #Ravens’ struggling offense pic.twitter.com/GZx9msjYUb — Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) November 28, 2025 View the full article Quote
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