When head coach John Harbaugh was asked about Derrick Henry’s usage in a season-opening loss to the Chiefs, he provided a reasonable response.
“We didn’t bring Derrick in here to be the guy that gets the ball 30 times a game,” he said.
Sure, 30 a game would be a lot. But what about half that?
After receiving just 13 carries in Week 1, Henry was given more opportunities in the Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the Raiders on Sunday (18 carries, 1 target). But his first-half struggles and lack of late-game touches are more evidence that Henry’s addition to Todd Monken’s offense may not be the immediate hand-in-glove fit it was hoped to be.
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Henry has been known to start games slow — the burden of being a priority in every opponent’s game plan — averaging just 3.6 yards per carry in the first quarter in his nine-year NFL career. But his first half against the Raiders was mind-numbingly futile. Henry went in to the break with just five rushing yards on seven carries, to go with one catch for 12 yards. As the Ravens sought to preserve time during their two-minute drill to close the half, Henry did not see the field at all. Monken instead opted for his better pass protector and safety valve, fifth-year back Justice Hill.
Both Henry and Hill were under siege in that first half. Running behind an ineffective offensive line, Henry averaged -0.86 yards before contact per carry in the first half, an abominable number that underscores how frequently the Raiders created penetration. Maxx Crosby and Las Vegas’ vaunted front feasted on Baltimore’s inexperienced bunch, and Henry bore the brunt of their ineptitude.
The traffic began to clear after halftime. Henry ripped off a 29-yard gain on his ninth carry of the day, chugging around a clean edge paved by left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Henry made his biggest impact on Baltimore’s final scoring drive, picking up gains of 9 and 17 before punching it in from the 3-yard line.
But on the next two possessions, when Baltimore needed him the most, he was a non-factor. Leading 23-16 with 9:21 remaining, the Ravens simply sought to salt the game away with their $16 million finisher. Henry picked up five yards on his first carry before a series of pratfalls ensued. The game log looked like this:
- (2nd and 5): Lamar Jackson run for no gain
- (3rd and 5): Janarius Robinson neutral zone infraction
- (3rd and 1): Derrick Henry false start
- (3rd and 5): Lamar Jackson pass attempt batted down
- (4th and 5): Punt
And the final possession (before the Ravens’ desperation drive with 31 seconds remaining):
- (1st and 10): Lamar Jackson sacked for -9 yards
- (2nd and 19): Justice Hill run for no gain
- (3rd and 19): Lamar Jackson complete pass to Justice Hill for 3 yards
- (4th and 16): Punt
Henry bears responsibility for the false start penalty — his second of the game — but the Ravens’ offensive miscues robbed him of a real opportunity to end the game on his terms. Like an All-Star closer watching his team lose from the bullpen, Henry looked on while the Ravens wrote him out of the game script.
It should be noted that Henry typically gets better as the season goes along. In his career, the 30-year-old has averaged 3.9 yards per game in September, 4.6 in October, 5.1 in November and a whopping 5.9 in December. He heats up as the weather gets colder.
The Ravens’ offensive line should also, in theory, improve. The coaching staff continues to preach patience with youngsters Roger Rosengarten, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, and not every opponent employs game-wreckers like Maxx Crosby and the Chiefs’ Chris Jones (although Dallas does).
But at some point, the ball has to get rolling with Derrick Henry in Baltimore. Whether it’s finding ways to get him involved in the passing game, committing to him more on early downs, or, heck, even running him in the wildcat more, the Ravens must make their prized free agent signing a significant part of their offense. Henry, Jackson and the offense will be better for it.
