Jesse Minter couldn’t ignore the impact of Derrick Henry’s fourth-quarter fumble during the Baltimore Ravens’ 13-10 defeat at the hands of AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns in Week 6, but the rookie head coach is already shifting the blame away from his ageing, star running back.
Minter named an unlikely guilty party as the real source of the blame for the impact Henry’s fumble had at Huntington Bank Field. The Ravens’ chief told reporters, including ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, “It happened. It was a good play by them. (I’d) Like for us to be able to rise up and get a stop right there, and have each other’s back. We weren’t able to do that, so it becomes an even bigger play when you’re not able to kind of back it up with the defense, so it is what it is.”
“Nobody works harder at ball security,” Minter said.
Minter’s frustration was obvious, but putting the onus on his defense was a curious move. Particularly since Henry’s lapse in ball security wasn’t the only issue the two-time NFL rushing champion faced on a day to forget for the Ravens’ offense on Sunday, October 18.
Derrick Henry Doesn’t Hold Back After Clutch Error
Henry offered a tougher putdown of his culpability in this defeat than his head coach. The 32-year-old knew how costly his turnover proved after Browns’ linebacker Carson Schwesinger had stripped the ball away with the Ravens up by seven in the final period.
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Cleveland’s offense took over at the Ravens’ 35-yard line and soon scored a touchdown via running back Audric Estimé to tie the game. This was yet another example of Henry’s erratic ball security harming the Ravens in a crucial moment.
Henry also lost fumbles in the fourth quarter of costly defeats to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions early in the 2025 season. His latest giveaway put an exclamation point on a performance that was already trending in the wrong direction.
The veteran workhorse couldn’t get loose for big gains late on against the Browns. Instead, Henry delivered only minimal gains, per The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer, tallied the “Yardage of Derrick Henry’s past 6 runs: 1 -1 0 1 5 -1 Against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses (by success rate anyway).”
1 -1 0 1 5 -1
Against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses (by success rate anyway).
Henry’s always going to be a marked man late in games, but the Ravens need more from their primary closer. Even if Minter has bigger expectations for an inconsistent defense.
Jesse Minter’s Challenging the Ravens’ Defense
Minter naturally expects his defense to deliver because he built his reputation on that side of the ball. Successful stints as defensive coordinator at Michigan and for the Los Angeles Chargers got Minter the job in Baltimore, but he’s struggling to field a dominant unit for the Ravens.
Instead, Minter’s defense remains maddeningly inconsistent. An All-Pro shares his coach’s frustration with the unit.
Harsh words are warranted when problems getting off the field on third down have been brewing for weeks. Minter had been content to own those failings, but now he’s trying a different approach.
Reminding players about high standards can sting the pride of key members of the defense. Those same players will embrace the hidden challenge behind Minter publicly saying he expected them to defend a short field, not yield any points and spare Henry’s blushes.
Ravens’ HC Shifts Blame After Derrick Henry Fumble vs. Browns