The Case for Derrick Henry Being on Mount Rushmore of Running Backs
It's become a weekly occurrence for Derrick Henry to surpass some of the greatest running backs ever on all-time lists and add accolades to his Hall of Fame résumé.
In the Ravens' 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers Saturday night, Henry moved past Tony Dorsett for 10th place in career rushing yards (12,892) and past Adrian Peterson for fourth place in career rushing touchdowns (122).
Henry, who ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries in the game, surpassed Peterson and O.J. Simpson for the most 200-yard rushing games (seven) and joined Jim Brown as the only players with multiple games of 200 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
It's not hyperbole to say that Henry has entered the pantheon of NFL running backs, and he showed again on Saturday night that he is still elite as he approaches his 32nd birthday on Sunday.
Charlie Kravitz, who produces ESPN's "The Domonique Foxworth Show," said Henry belongs on the Mount Rushmore of running backs alongside Brown, Barry Sanders, and Walter Payton.
"For the last seven years, if you go on a per-17-game basis, [Henry] is averaging 1,700 yards, 5 yards a carry, and 16 touchdowns per season," Kravitz said. "He is on a completely unique career path."
ESPN's Pat McAfee also sang Henry's praises on his show.
"This guy's special," McAfee said. "Still doing this in Baltimore at this age, at this stage of his career, is outrageous.
Pundits Debate Whether Steelers Will Have an Answer for Henry
One of the main talking points heading into Sunday night's showdown for the AFC North title in Pittsburgh is whether Henry can run all over the Steelers the way he did the Packers.
The Baltimore Bannerâs Jonas Shaffer noted that 18 of Henry's runs were out of the I-formation, the most in a single game by any ball carrier since at least 2015, according to Sports Info Solutions, and his 140 yards also were the most in that span.
Shaffer said it's unclear whether the same game plan will be as successful against the Steelers, especially if Lamar Jackson (back contusion) doesn't play.
"In a Week 14 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Henry had eight I formation carries for 47 yards (5.9 per attempt)," Shaffer wrote. "But he finished with 25 carries for just 94 yards overall.
"Despite having to defend Henry without injured rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, one of Pittsburgh's key run stoppers, and despite having to account for Lamar Jackson's run threat (two designed carries for 15 yards), the Steelers hit Henry at or behind the line of scrimmage 10 times, according to SIS. He had just one run for at least 10 yards. Harmon, now healthy, is expected to have a significant role Sunday. Jackson's status is still to be determined."
ESPNâs Bill Barnwell acknowledged that Henry is capable of having another epic performance Sunday night, "but counting on it might be a little too presumptuous."
"The Ravens ranked 17th in the league in success rate on designed runs heading into the Packers game, and while that's up from where they were earlier in the season, it's a reminder that they've been way more dependent on explosive plays than they were in past years," Barnwell wrote. "They posted a league-best 55.1% success rate on designed runs against the Packers in Week 17, with Henry registering two 25-yard runs and a 30-yard score for good measure.
"Can the Ravens keep that up into January? It would be easier with Lamar Jackson, who has a meaningful effect on defensive gravity and the attention paid toward Henry on the ground, but it's unclear when Baltimore will have its two-time MVP back in the lineup. If it's Tyler Huntley at quarterback, the Ravens will need another big game from King Henry to top the Steelers and claim the AFC North."
Hall of Fame defensive end Dwight Freeney also said Jackson's availability is a key factor in whether Henry can have another big game.
"If Lamar doesn't play ⊠I think the Steelers put eight in the box and dare them to throw the ball," Freeney said on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show.
Adams pointed out that "the Packers tried that."
Dan Orlovsky Says DK Metcalf's Absence Will Cost Steelers the AFC North Title
One certainty about Sunday night's game is that the Steelers will be without No. 1 wide receiver DK Metcalf, who will serve the second game of a two-game suspension for an altercation with a fan during Pittsburgh's Week 15 win over the Detroit Lions.
ESPN's Dan Orlovsky contended that Metcalf's absence is the reason the Steelers suffered a 13-6 upset loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and why they won't beat the Ravens.
"They lost to the Browns because they couldn't score a touchdown and because people couldn't get open, and now they have to go play Baltimore," Orlovsky said on "Get Up." "Not having DK totally, totally, totally chokes this offense."
The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Metcalf was a huge problem for the Ravens in their 27-22 loss to the Steelers in Week 14, as he caught seven passes for 148 yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a season-high 284 passing yards and averaged 8.4 yards per attempt.
Without Metcalf against the Browns, Rodgers was 21-of-39 (53.8 percent) for 168 yards, no touchdowns, and a season-low 4.3 yards per attempt.
The Steelers will also be without bruising tight end Darnell Washington (broken arm), and it's unclear whether No. 2 wide receiver Calvin Austin (hamstring) will be available.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said the Steelers will still have capable playmakers, specifically naming running backs Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren, tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
"They have guys, so you game-plan for the guys that they have," Harbaugh said.
Ravens Projected to Receive Maximum Four Compensatory Picks
Thanks to former Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White playing 70 percent of the snaps this season, the Ravens will receive a compensatory pick and are projected to have the maximum of four compensatory picks, per Russell Street Report's Brian McFarland.
The Ravens acquired White and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick at last year's trade deadline. White played in seven games for Baltimore.
