Fans tuning into Sunday Night Football might’ve got a quick surprise.
After just two offensive plays for the visiting Baltimore Ravens at the Atlanta Falcons, Derrick Henry was running off the field.
It’s Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season, and the Ravens are already down Lamar Jackson due to an ankle injury.
They couldn’t afford anything to be wrong with Henry, too.
Why Did Justice Hill Play Over Derrick Henry?
Hill was simply giving Henry a break.
The Ravens threw to Hill on his first play in the game, then handed to Hill on his second play for a strong run.
Henry came back into the game after those two plays.
The NBC broadcast did show Henry on the sideline taking some deep breaths after his first carry, which was a good one before Hill came in.
It’s actually not unusual for Baltimore, though.
The Ravens often rotate a back in for Henry for a couple plays, but as soon as he’s back in, he gets the ball again and gets rumbling yet again.
How Derrick Henry Didn’t Score 1st-Drive TD
Maybe the most impressive thing the Falcons did to open Sunday Night Football came when the Ravens had the ball inside the 10-yard line.
Henry was back in the game at this point, and he ran left. He had a path toward the pylon.
Only one defender had even a chance to stop Henry, and it was the much smaller cornerback Mike Hughes.
Hughes didn’t shy away, though. He got low, hit Henry in his legs and got him down before the goal line.
It ended up being a huge play. The Ravens lined up with an illegal formation on the next play to move back, and then they threw an incomplete pass.
Instead of a Henry touchdown if he gets by Hughes, the Ravens had to settle for a field goal, and the Falcons got off the field after the first drive down just 3-0.
Henry could see even more action in this one with Jackson out and Tyler Huntley at QB instead. So when the Ravens get a chance to give him a breather, they will.
The Falcons know what’s coming. It’ll just be up to them to keep being brave like Hughes and doing what they can to slow down one of the best RBs of all time.
Why Justice Hill Got Early Playing Time Over Derrick Henry in Falcons-Ravens