NBC Sports analyst Mike Tomlin refused to say Derrick Henry's name during the pregame show for the Ravens-Falcons "Sunday Night Football" matchup, as he repeatedly referred to the running back as "The Big Runner."
The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach wasn't disrespecting Henry. To the contrary, Tomlin's choice to keep Henry's name out of his mouth was a show of respect for the future Hall-of-Fame running back.
With Lamar Jackson (ankle) sidelined for the game, Tomlin said the Ravens need to "ride The Big Runner." When elaborating, Tomlin used "The Big Runner" moniker two more times.
Host Maria Taylor clarified that "The Big Runner" is Henry.
"He still will not say his name because he sends a shiver down his spine," Taylor said.
Tomlin reposted a clip of the segment on social media and made it clear how he feels about Henry.
In Henry's eight games against Tomlin's Steelers (five with the Ravens, three with the Tennessee Titans), he averaged 102 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns.
Tomlin is probably still having nightmares about Henry's performance in the Ravens' 28-14 win over the Steelers in a Wild-Card playoff game in January 2025. Henry rushed for 186 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns as Baltimore eliminated Pittsburgh.
Vega Ioane Is Getting Offensive Rookie of the Year Buzz
When Head Coach Jesse Minter was asked Monday about how impressive Vega Ioane has been in shifting from right guard to center, he said the rookie's performance might be worthy of an unprecedented honor for an offensive lineman.
"I do not know who votes for [Offensive] Rookie of the Year and all that stuff, and it is really, really early in the season, but he is a very impactful rookie for our team that has done things that I do not know that any rookies have ever done," Minter said.
For the record, the Associated Press offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards are determined by voting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who cover the NFL. No offensive lineman has ever won the award since its inception in 1967.
Minter isn't the first to mention Ioane as a potential contender for the award, however.
ESPN’s Rich Eisen predicted Ioane would be an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist back in May, a couple weeks after the Ravens selected him with the 14th overall pick, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport raised the possibility Monday on social media.
Ioane, who took over at center late in the Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro after both of the Ravens' centers suffered long-term injuries, will switch back to right guard when new center Cam Jurgens makes his Ravens debut, which could be this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
The hope is that Jurgens and Ioane remain in their natural positions the rest of the season, but it's comforting to have Ioane as an insurance policy at center.
The Legend of Tyler Huntley is Growing
Tyler Huntley rallying the Ravens to a 30-23 overtime victory in Atlanta didn't surprise anyone within the organization, but "Snoop's" performance in prime time reminded the NFL world outside of Baltimore why he is one of the league's best backup quarterbacks.
Former defensive end Chris Long was effusive in his praise of Huntley, who has won three in a row when starting in place of an injured Jackson dating back to last season.
"'Snoop' Huntley is a legend to me in these spots," Long said on the "Green Light With Chris Long" podcast. "He's one of my favorite supporting characters in this Ravens timeline. And he's popped up on other teams and he's engineered comebacks.
"At the end of [regulation], they can't run the ball [because] they have to hurry up and get down the field, and he's doing everything he can with his legs and his arm. They start that drive first-and-20 and he finds a way to get them points in the two-minute drill, and they get the two-point conversion. Just nails. They blitzed him, he found the hot. He made plays off-script. He is a really sharp kid, and I don't want to call him a kid anymore because he's a grown man. 'Snoop' Huntley to me is an incredibly valuable backup and somebody that deserves a lot of credit and respect."
Don't Overlook Rashod Bateman's Contributions
Two-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers gets most of the attention among Ravens' wide receivers, and understandably so. However, Rashod Bateman has also been a significant contributor to the Ravens' 4-1 start.
"When called upon in recent weeks, Bateman has shown his worth as a reliable complementary option to Flowers," The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote. "The Ravens don't mount that comeback Sunday without Bateman, who set up a late second-quarter field goal with a 19-yard reception and then caught four balls for 43 yards on the team's final two scoring drives."
Bateman already has more receiving yards this season (233) than he did in 13 games last year (224). He's on pace for 792 receiving yards, which would surpass his career-high of 756 in 2024.
The former first-round pick is second on the team in receiving yards, third in receptions (16), and first in success rate (76%).
"He's been efficient, and it still feels like he has the potential to produce far more with increased chances," Zrebiec wrote.
