Bills vs. Ravens in NFL playoffs: How Derrick Henry helped bring out the best in Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
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It is very rare in sports to see two masters of their craft playing side by side. NBA Fans of a certain age can remember what happened when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal joined the Lakers at the turn of the century. With the league’s two best players playing together, the Lakers have won three straight titles and remain the last major professional sports team to accomplish the feat.
The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to make it happen now, but one team that could stand in their way is the Baltimore Ravens, who have a seemingly unstoppable duo in quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. In their first season together, both Jackson and Henry had incredible individual success. Henry ran for more yards than any other player after turning 30. Jackson, a two-time league MVP, had his best season yet with Henry by his side.
“He let Lamar be Lamar,” the CBS Sports lead said NFL Reporter Tracy Wolfson recently said this about Henry during an interview with CBS Sports. “Lamar talks a lot about how Derrick Henry helped him, but Lamar helped Derrick Henry, too. I think it’s between the two of them. The pressure that Derrick Henry was able to take off of Lamar Jackson allowed him to be himself.”
That point was on full display during their first playoff game together. Against the Steelers in the AFC wild-card round, Jackson ran the read option to near perfection while putting Pittsburgh’s defense on his heels. Henry rushed for 186 yards (the most yards ever gained against a Steelers defense in the postseason) and two touchdowns. Jackson threw for two touchdowns and also ran for 81 yards on 15 carries. The duo helped the Ravens to a 28-14 win that included an incredible 299 yards on the ground.
After years of carrying the Ravens’ offense, Jackson now shares that workload with Henry, who saw several career milestones this season that included his 100th career scoring and passing 11,000 receiving yards. Henry’s 1,921 yards this season were his most NFL History by a player who has never won a quick title.
However, Hall of Fame play isn’t the only thing the 31-year-old Henry brings to the Ravens this season.
“I asked him (about his impact on the Ravens),” Wovelson said. “He’s very humble. He wouldn’t come out and say anything. But one of the things he talked about was his veteran presence, and he feels like he brought that. A guy who’s been in a lot of different situations. … What he brought was that professionalism with which he carries himself.” And how he was able to take care of his body, all of that has to seep into what these younger players are watching from inside the locker room.”
Actual leadership is a valuable thing to have in any organization NFL Locker room. The Ravens have that in veterans like the 33-year-old linebacker, Kyle Van Noy and Henry, whose relentless pursuit of excellence has undoubtedly left an impact on his teammates and even his head coach.
“(John) Harbaugh always seemed to turn to him for something,” Wolfson said. “A nugget of inspiration, because it was there.”
Henry’s presence has certainly been a driving force in Baltimore’s five-game winning streak that the team will carry into Sunday night’s deciding showdown against the Bills in the AFC divisional round. Games like this are exactly what the Ravens signed Henry to play in, as Baltimore will undoubtedly try to win this game in the trenches.
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The Ravens aren’t just facing the Bills, led by quarterback Josh Allen, who like Jackson also enjoyed a season that earned him MVP consideration. Baltimore will also face frigid temperatures and the possibility of snow. Not ideal conditions for throwing a ball.
In the past, Jackson likely felt extra pressure to make things happen, which often led to uncharacteristic mistakes that often led to season-ending losses. With Henry, the Ravens are hoping things will be different this time.
“I think Derrick Henry should have a good game,” Wolfson said as he looked ahead to Sunday night. “He’s the hardest person to bring down and deal with. You don’t want to put all the pressure on Lamar Jackson to go out there and try to do everything himself. And you don’t want to make them one-dimensional.”
“There’s got to be a balance. He doesn’t have to go out and get 199 yards like he did last time (against the Bills in Week 4). … What Lamar has done well this year is they’ve been able to run the ball and then lead.” To those explosive plays on the field.”
As great as they were, Kobe and Shaq had help in the form of players like Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Fisher, and others. Wolfson noted that this was also the case for Jackson and Henry; She specifically referenced wideout Rashod Bateman and running back Justice Hill, who each scored a touchdown in Baltimore’s runaway win over Pittsburgh.
Baltimore’s role players will have to step up their offense again Sunday night, especially if Zay Flowers, the team’s Pro Bowl starter, remains sidelined with a knee injury. But the Ravens’ success will ultimately depend on Henry, the diesel engine that drives Baltimore Super Bowl Hopes.
“There are other guys who can step up, but for sure, it’s got to be Derrick Henry,” Wolfson said. “It’s got to be Derrick Henry. He’s got to be successful on the floor, especially in this weather.”