If it weren't for the big toe of Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, we may not even be having a Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry discussion today, however, by an inch, the Ravens missed out on an opportunity to go for two and potentially steal a Week 1 win away from the Kansas City Chiefs. That means it's time to have the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry discussion.
Baltimore was widely considered one of the winners of the offseason, simply because of the addition of one of the NFL's best running backs, Derrick Henry, who signed with the Ravens after a prolific eight-year run with the Tennessee Titans. In Tennessee, the Titans built an offense around their star running back, and Henry rarely disappointed. With little help around him, Henry still managed to lead the NFL in rushing in that eight-year span by nearly 600 yards.
But in Baltimore, Derrick Henry enters an offense that won't be built around him. Instead, it's two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson who the offense has been crafted to suit, and on Thursday night, it showed.
During a Friday morning appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Hall of Fame quarterback and current NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner noted that he felt like the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry duo was still a work in progress.
“I didn't think they played very well on offense,” Warner stated. “Lamar Jackson being a shotgun quarterback, Derrick Henry being more of a downhill I-type back, you know they tried to mix it and match it a little bit with the pistol. Then there was a couple times, on the touchdown run obviously they were under center. I'm just interested to see that mesh because I don't think Derrick's nearly as good when he has to start lateral and then get the big body going downhill.”
Ravens still working things out with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry
It may just be a one game sample size, but what Kurt Warner is saying is what the Ravens staff seemed to be seeing too. Derrick Henry logged just 46 percent of the snaps at running back, while Justice Hill played the remaining 54 percent. For the game, Henry was outgained in terms of total yardage by Hill, and out rushed by Lamar Jackson, who carried the ball 16 times for 122 yards, his highest total in a game since he rushed for 124 yards against Cleveland in 2020.
Derrick Henry did punch one into the end zone on the opening drive of the game, giving fans of the remaining 31 NFL franchises reason to panic. However, after the first drive of the game, Henry logged only eight more carries.
Henry wouldn't be the first running back to change offensive systems and see his output diminish. Kurt Warner noted that future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson encountered the same issues.
“I used to say this about Adrian Peterson. He was the same way, he was a downhill back. He was so good and then later on in his career they tried to get him more into that shotgun zone read stuff and he just was not quite the same back.”
It shouldn't be forgotten that for as invincible as Derrick Henry has looked throughout his career, he is on the wrong side of 30, and there have been some signs that his best days are behind him. Henry's 4.2 yards per carry last season were the lowest of his career, and in each of the last four seasons, his yards per game have declined.
The good news for Baltimore is that there is already a proof of concept with this offense, and Derrick Henry could end up settling into a role where he's a luxury as opposed to featured piece.