The last time the Dallas Cowboys played the Baltimore Ravens, it was not the traditionally stout defense that ruled the day, nor was it star dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson, though he was pretty good himself. No, it was all about the running back, one of the greatest of this century–Derrick Henry, who was playing just his third game as a Raven after he left Tennessee in free agency.
Henry plowed over the Cowboys’ defense that day, racking up 151 yards on the ground, on 25 carries. He scored two touchdowns and had one catch for 23 yards, to boot.
At the time, there was a sense of vengeance coming from Henry, not so much for what the Cowboys had done to him in the past, but for what they had not done when he hit free agency the previous winter: Despite needing a running back, they hadn’t called him, hadn’t reached out to try to sign him. Henry certainly was amped up to show the Cowboys they’d missed out.
Derrick Henry Did Not Get the Call From the Cowboys
It’s not the most pleasant of memories for the Cowboys, but Henry had said several times during that offseason that he was living in Dallas and had hoped to take a crack at signing there after eight brilliant seasons in Tennessee. But, he later lamented, “They ain’t holla at me at all.”
And it is likely he still has not forgotten, either. Henry put up that monster game against Dallas’ run defense in 2024, and could do it again, as the Cowboys currently are just 30th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, at 347.
As veteran Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill noted on Twitter/X, responding to a post highlighting Henry’s 2024 domincance: “The Cowboys didn’t call him/It was personal.”
Cowboys ‘Just Another Game’?
For now, though, Henry is saying the right things about facing the Cowboys. The game will be the first to be held in Rio, and the expectation is that it will be a largely Dallas-backing crowd. That’s likely to get more attention than Henry’s former flirtation and rejection by the Cowboys, though he still lives in Dallas.
Said Henry: “It is always fun to go against a team from where I live in the offseason, and all that. But, it’s just another game. I do not try to make too much of it, but, yes, it should be fun.””
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