Derrick Henry is on the rise and the Ravens’ running identity is back in a big way

BALTIMORE (AP) — Derrick Henry is running well and the Baltimore Ravens are on the right track after a rough start thanks to a tried-and-tested recipe of running the ball early and often.

Henry’s 87-yard touchdown Sunday night was just the beginning of a 35-10 defeat the Buffalo Bills that gave the Ravens a second win in a row and brought them back to .500. Henry, fellow running back Justice Hill and quarterback Lamar Jackson combined to rush for 271 yards, a ground game that restored Baltimore’s identity at the perfect time to turn its season around.

“That’s what we’ve always been about,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Run the ball and play great defense. … The running game is extremely important for us.”

Who better to lead this attack than Henry, the 247-pounder? left Tennessee in free agency to give Jackson a reliable runner. While Baltimore’s first two games yielded a few touchdowns and mixed results, the last two have shown what good things can happen when Henry has the ball in his hands.

The 30-year-old followed up his 151-yard, two-touchdown run Performance in Dallas with 199 yards on the ground against Buffalo. He also caught the fourth TD pass of his NFL career and first since 2019 and appears to fit seamlessly into Baltimore’s offense.

“Everybody’s blocking,” said Henry, who has had 49 carries in the last two weeks. “Everyone is just being selfless to help me succeed, and I want to do the same for these guys.”

Henry ran recklessly all over the Bills even though the struggling offensive line was missing starting left guard Andrew Vorhees. Right tackle Patrick Mekari slid over to take his spot, rookie Roger Rosengarten made his first pro start and Henry and the Ravens didn’t miss a chance.

“He doesn’t need much to run: give him a little space, he’ll take advantage of it,” Rosengarten said. “He’s ‘King Henry’ for a reason and he shows it week after week. We just have to give him a chance and he will do the rest.”

What works

Unlike the previous two games, there was no real concern about losing a late lead. Still, a three-and-out and a Buffalo touchdown early in the second half that cut the score to 21-10 worried players on the sideline.

“Everyone said, ‘Okay, we don’t have to do this again,’ so I think everyone held on,” said safety Kyle Hamilton, who recovered Josh Allen’s fumble after Kyle Van Noy forced it. “The offense did its thing and I think the defense settled down. There was a mistake made, but I think we did a good job of restarting and then doing what we had to do to get to the finish.”

From that point on, the Ravens increased their lead by 14 points and moved on.

What needs help

After a turnover-free play against the Cowboys, Jackson lost a fumble and Henry lost the ball at the goal line before Patrick Ricard fell on it for a touchdown. Jackson was annoyed about this mistake afterwards.

“I was upset about it because in the NFL a lot of games are momentum games,” he said. “We scored three times and then this fumble happened. It slows us down, but our defense was completely out of action.”

Stock up

Fresh out Signed to a two-year, $6 million contract In overtime, Hill was Baltimore’s leading receiver with six catches for 78 yards and a touchdown along with a handful of carries. He’s proving to be the perfect complement to Henry in the backfield and a good safety valve for Jackson, who said Hill “makes himself look good” rather than the other way around.

“Justice Hill was very important,” Harbaugh said. “I’m really glad we were able to re-sign him before he missed the last two games. That was nice.”

Inventory reduced

Mark Andrews has been one of Jackson’s favorite options over the past six seasons, including as an All-Pro choice at tight end in 2021. He had an open-field drop on Sunday night after Isaiah Likely and Andrews made a 26-yard grab could no longer have control of the top spot in his own team.

Injuries

In addition to Vorhees, nose tackle Michael Pierce also missed the Bills game with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Jalyn Armor-Davis (hamstring) was injured and will be out for at least the next three games.

Key number

21 – Number of prime-time wins for the Ravens in 24 games since Harbaugh took over in 2008.

Next Steps

Harbaugh and his players wanted to move quickly to the next game, Sunday at AFC North rival Cincinnati, after the Bengals earned their first win of the season. The Ravens entered the game as away favorites by 2 1/2 points BetMGM sports betting.

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