While many Baltimore Ravens players struggled in their 35-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Derrick Henry‘s performance stood out.
For the second straight week, Henry posted a season-low in rushing yards, totaling just 45 on 17 carries. He also had 2 receptions for 4 yards in the loss.
Statistically, Henry is still having a great season overall, but the last few weeks show the struggles he is having. That might lead to a big problem for Baltimore if it is not addressed.
Baltimore Ravens Got Warning Regarding Derrick Henry
ESPN NFL writer Bill Barnwell wrote about what he noticed in Henry’s latest performance. Barnwell had some strong words about what the Ravens should do in the backfield moving forward.
“Despite his size, Henry’s game has always been more about creating explosives with his speed than overpowering people in phone booths. Right now, he’s not doing either, though.
The Ravens have only Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali behind Henry, and I’m not sure they want to turn the backfield over to either player unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’re not at that point yet. Henry’s a legend, and his résumé is too substantial to give up on the star back after a mediocre six-game stretch. Henry should be better with Jackson on the field, and I’m hoping we get them both back together for that Sunday rematch with the Bills.
But the Ravens have to be watching and worried about what’s going on here. They’ll need to start giving serious consideration to running Jackson in short-yardage more often, even if it creates more injury risk. And if a veteran back does shake loose between now and the trade deadline, general manager Eric DeCosta might need to give the idea of adding RB depth to support Henry serious attention.”
This season, Henry leads the NFL in rushing attempts with 147, ranks fourth in rushing touchdowns (7), and sixth in rushing yards (579). He is only averaging 3.9 yards per carry, which is pacing to be the worst of his NFL career.
Derrick Henry Opened Up About Ravens’ Second-Half Rushing Issues
After the game, Henry sat with reporters to talk about it. He opened up about why they struggled to run the ball in the second half.
“I don’t think it was more so what they were doing. Me, I [have] got to be better. It’s not good enough. [It was] terrible. I’m looking at myself. I think every man can look in the mirror, but as far as myself, I can speak on me. It’s not good enough at all. We just [have] got to figure it out. Everybody evaluates themselves, coaches are going to evaluate and, we can go from there. It’s just not good enough at all for us to be able to win games and be able to string drives together [and] have an impact on the game as far as the running game. It just hasn’t been good enough.”
Henry and the Ravens shift the focus to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8. The bigger question now is whether Baltimore needs to add another running back to help Henry or hope he bounces back.
Ravens Receive Derrick Henry Warning After Season-Worst Game in Bengals Loss