Rob Gronkowski had his share of battles with the Baltimore Ravens, but now he’s getting tired of seeing his longtime adversary make the “same old” mistakes. Particularly when it comes to ignoring star running back Derrick Henry when they have a lead in the second half.
Four-time Super Bowl-winning former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Gronkowski didn’t hold back after the Ravens blew yet another fourth quarter lead during their 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Speaking to Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show,” Gronkowski blamed the collapse against the Saints on “the same old Baltimore Ravens. It’s confusing to me. You hand the ball off to Derrick Henry in the first half, he’s having a great game and then they barely hand it off to him in the second half.”
“It’s the same old Baltimore Ravens”
His solution? Feed Derrick Henry 🚜
@RobGronkowski | @heykayadamsThe Ravens’ play-calling regarding Henry did raise some eyebrows, although the two-time NFL rushing champion spoke out in support of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Gronkowski’s having none of it though. The current Fox Sports analyst believes the Ravens are outthinking themselves, and it’s costing the team in clutch situations.
Rob Gronkowski Goes In On ‘Same Old’ Ravens
Gronkowski explained, “it’s like they’re trying to get creative because they know if they hand it off to Derrick Henry in the second half, they’re (the Saints) expecting that, so they get creative. No, just keep handing the ball off to Derrick Henry even if they know it’s going to him!”
Gronk views the Ravens’ reluctance to keep working Henry as part of a destructive pattern. The 37-year-old said, “It’s the same old story with the Baltimore Ravens last year. He was having great halves and then they don’t hand the ball off to him in the second half.”
Those words refer to the Ravens mysteriously sidelining their lead back on a potential game-winning drive against the Pats last season. The Ravens lost a game with major playoff implications.
That collapse occurred under former head coach John Harbaugh, but Gronkowski’s seeing history repeat itself with rookie boss Jesse Minter.
Gronk told Adams the Ravens “blew plenty of leads last year. Now with their new head coach Jesse Minter, they’re already showing that they can blow a lead again, which they just did versus the New Orleans Saints. So this is kinda the same story for the Baltimore Ravens.”
Fixing this fatal flaw is easy, at least to Gronkowski: “Stick to the gameplan, keep handing the ball off to Derrick Henry, the guy is a closer, and he can handle 30 to 35 carries a game.”
That last point is contentious, given Henry’s age and declining stats in the 32-year-old’s performances. Yet, Gronkowski’s overall rant is one the Ravens have to take after their offense scored three points in the second half against the Saints.
Derrick Henry Usage Part of Broader Coaching Issue
Henry’s lack of touches during the critical stages of another close game may not have been the Ravens’ biggest problem on offense in Week 2. He did average 4.25 yards per carry, but the Saints were also credited with some “great” run stuffs by ESPN’s Mina Kimes.
She explained how having “Rewatched the Ravens second half offense and came away less upset about Henry not getting carries (outside of the 3rd and 1) and more impressed by the Saints defense. Chase Young, Granderson, Ellis, Werner, Riley—all made great plays.”
Kimes’ reference to the 3rd-and-1 play in the fourth quarter is telling. Henry didn’t get the ball because Doyle had Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson heave a deep pass to backup wide receiver Chris Moore, and the ball ultimately fell incomplete.
It was a beyond curious call, given Henry’s ability to boss short-yardage downs. The outside-the-box-thinking behind calling a deep shot speaks to Gronkowski’s point about the Ravens getting too “creative.”
That’s an issue with situational awareness, something a first-year head coach like Minter still needs to learn. He had a rough day against the Saints, earning criticism for his timidity and naivety in “prime time” situations.
Mastering the calm to keep his team on track in every situation isn’t Minter’s only task. He and Doyle must coach better discipline from an offense that’s been buried under penalty flags through two games.
The unit’s “been flagged 12 times and penalized 90 total yards. They’ve lost five first downs and 1 TD because of penalties. They also had a holding penalty declined,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Cleaning up those mistakes should be the priority, but the Ravens face yet more problems on offense.
Problems Growing for Baltimore Offense
Fixing those problems has to start with affording Jackson better protection. The two-time NFL MVP took three sacks against the Saints, many of them against “A-gap pressure,” according to Football Guys writer Matt Waldman.
It didn’t help Jackson’s already shaky offensive line lost All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley to an early exit with a toe injury. Baltimore’s star QB1 also missed his top receiver, Zay Flowers, and struggled to connect with his replacement in key moments.
Getting Henry more involved is the logical place to start for the Minter and Doyle, but the Ravens can’t ignore their broader schematic and personnel issues on offense.
Rob Gronkowski Mocks Ravens Over Derrick Henry Problem