OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Derrick Henry gave the Baltimore Ravens nearly 2,000 yards rushing during the regular season — and a lot of that was before winter arrived and the temperature began to dip.
“I don’t believe anybody likes hitting in the cold — not even the defenders like hitting in the cold,” teammate Lamar Jackson said. "I believe, especially with a 250-pound, all-muscle running back running downhill at you. I wouldn’t want to do it, but it’s great for us.”
The Ravens are hoping the regular season was just a preview of what Henry's impact could be in the playoffs, which for Baltimore begin Saturday night against Pittsburgh — with the usual chilly January weather expected. After rushing for 1,921 yards, including a career-high 5.9 per carry, Henry is ready to help Jackson lead a dynamic Baltimore offense into the postseason.
Both stars had birthdays recently, Henry turning 31 and Jackson 28. Each has achieved plenty of success on his own, but their pairing this season has been seamless. Jackson earned first-team All-Pro honors and Henry was named to the second team. Opposing defenses have had so much trouble defending both of them that it's become a talking point in the MVP debate: How much has Henry's presence made Jackson's job easier? The running back was quick to push back against that logic.
“My success shouldn’t knock his or vice versa,” Henry said. "Celebrate the two — him and Josh Allen. They both had a hell of a year this year. I feel like Lamar — in his case, I feel like his stats can be even better. I feel like he’s the best player in the league, and it’s only going to get better from here. I don’t feel like what I’ve done should hurt him. I feel like he’s helped me even more.”
Individual honors aren't what matters this weekend. It's whether the Ravens can deliver in the postseason, where Jackson is 2-4 as a starter. Like Jackson, Henry hasn't been to a Super Bowl and has reached the AFC title game only once.
In his first couple trips to the playoffs for the Tennessee Titans, Henry was a difference maker. He rushed for 156 yards in a win at Kansas City in January 2018. Two years later, he ran for 182 at New England and 195 in a win at top-seeded Baltimore.
That was as close as he has come to a Super Bowl, however. After two more trips to the playoffs ended in one-and-done fashion — with Henry held well under 100 yards both times — the Titans missed the postseason entirely his last two years in Tennessee. Then came the move to Baltimore, one that has helped Henry regain his spot among the game's top rushing threats.
And given him a chance to compete in the playoffs again.
“It’s a different atmosphere during the postseason, because everybody knows what’s at stake, so I’m just excited to be back in that atmosphere,” Henry said. "Like I said, I’m excited. It’s been a while.”
For what it's worth, Henry says he doesn't much care whether he plays in warm or cold conditions, but this postseason, he's the most obvious major addition that Baltimore didn't have at this time last year. And it wouldn't be surprising if this first game in particular hinges on his performance.
Henry fumbled early in a November loss to the Steelers, but bounced back with 162 yards rushing when the Ravens beat them last month. And Baltimore — which averaged an NFL-record 5.76 yards per rush this season — would love to see him rolling early and often.
“There’s nothing like being able to turn around and comfortably hand the ball off. That’s the start of everything you do. It’s hard to control the game if you can’t run the football,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “You control the game with physicality. You control the game with being able to run the football, especially in weather conditions, and it sets everything else up that you do, so that’s critical. That’s not just us. That’s everybody.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Noah Trister, The Associated Press
