RAVENS PUT ON BLAST FOR DERRICK HENRY DECISION
Depending on the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s hamstring, the Baltimore Ravens are going to need to tinker with the offense before their Week 5 contest with the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Ravens enter the game with a disappointing 1-3 record after being considered a preseason favorite to win the AFC North.
While the main issue with Baltimore has been on the defensive side of the ball, the offense has stalled at key times. They struggled to score early against the Kansas City Chiefs and allowed a fourth-quarter collapse against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
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On Thursday, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN called the use of star running back Derrick Henry on early downs “unacceptable.” Baltimore ranks last in the league in handing the ball off to their running backs on first and second down.
“A month into the season, the Baltimore Ravens, with Derrick Henry, are the 32nd-ranked offense in the NFL when it comes to giving the ball to their running back on first or second down,” Orlovsky said. “Meaning they run the football on first and second down with their running backs the least out of everybody in the NFL.
“The Ravens, yet when they do it, they’re second in yards per carry at six. So to kind of just summarize it, the Ravens on first and second down give the ball to their running backs less than anybody in the NFL. Yet when they do, the second-best offense when doing that. The Baltimore Ravens with Derek Henry? That shocked me.”
Week 5 would be a good time for the Ravens to feed the ball to Henry on first and second down against the Texans’ defense. Houston has a middle-of-the-pack running defense, ranking 12th in the league through the first four weeks.
Giving the ball to Henry and Justice Hill will help keep the pressure off Jackson–if he’s cleared to play. It would also benefit backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who will need a strong running game to complement the offense if he is called upon to play in the next few games.
At the very least, ranking 32nd in giving the ball to running backs on early downs suggests the offense is becoming predictable, and that’s not a good place for the Ravens to be when they need a serious winning streak to become a postseason threat again.
For more on the Ravens and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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2025-10-02T15:33:37Z
