Bills HC details challenge of stopping ‘first ballot Hall of Famer’ Ravens RB

The Buffalo Bills will attempt to limit the production of Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry this weekend.

Anthony Miller | Sep 25, 2024

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After looking dominant through the first three weeks of the 2024 campaign, the Buffalo Bills face perhaps their toughest competition of the season yet in Week 4 in the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore is 1-2 through three games, but its record is perhaps deceiving, as the team has some of the league's best players at their respective positions on either side of the ball. One player the Bills will be focused on this weekend is running back Derrick Henry, who joined the Ravens in the offseason after an immensely productive eight-year stint with the Tennessee Titans. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott spoke to the media on Wednesday about the problems Henry can cause for the Bills’ defense.

“It’s incredible what he’s been able to do with his career,” McDermott said. “Future Hall of Famer, right? First ballot Hall of Famer. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of running back. Really hard to stop. Seems like it’s a marriage made in heaven with what they do and how Coach Harbaugh wants to play. The line of scrimmage, they dominate, and that’s very impressive.”

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Henry has been dominant through the first few weeks of the 2024 NFL season, currently ranking fifth in rushing yards with 281 on 56 carries. He's also tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with four. This is nothing new, though, as the nine-year veteran has been one of the league's most dominant rushers over the past decade; he rushed for 9,502 yards over his eight years in Tennessee, earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2020.

It's tough to find any flaw in the undefeated Bills right now, but their run defense hasn't been necessarily elite, as they're ranked 23rd in yards per carry allowed at 4.7. They're allowing 118.3 rushing yards per game, which puts them in the middle of the league in the stat.

Buffalo has done a pretty good job against Henry throughout his career. The running back has faced the Bills’ defense five times, averaging 71.8 yards per game as he's scored seven touchdowns. His best game against the Bills was in 2021 when he rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns; it always seems as though the Bills largely keep him in check, but he's able to break off one or two big runs, which is to be expected from a player of Henry's caliber.

Henry won't be the only dynamic offensive player Buffalo's defense will be forced to stop, as wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely can present problems. Two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is pretty good, too. Though the Bills' defense is down several starters, it's been lights out over the last 10 quarters; it will be interesting to watch if the team can continue its dominance when playing against a potentially dynamic Baltimore offense.

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