Derrick Henry Entering 'Much Improved' Situation With Ravens
No position in football is as predicated on the success of the people around them as running back. Whether it's the offensive line doing their job or the offensive coordinator or quarterback calling the right play at the right time, a lot has to go right for a running back to have a positive play or break a big run.
Few running backs had to overcome more than Derrick Henry in his final season with the Tennessee Titans in 2023. By going from the Titans' offensive line to the Ravens' Henry is going from one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines to one of the best from last season.
Derrick Henry vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
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Baltimore led the league in rushing yards per game last season (156.5), but beyond that, advanced stats show how dominant its offensive line was in the running game. The Ravens led the league in rushing yards before contact with 1,685 and they were second in average yards before contact with 3.1, only trailing the Arizona Cardinals, per Pro Football Reference's advanced stats.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson led the NFL in average yards before contact per attempt (4.0).
The Titans were one of the worst in both categories, as they were 25th in rushing yards before contact and tied for 28th in average rushing yards before contact. As a result, Henry's advanced stats in 2023 suffered.
The 2020 Offensive Player of the Year and former All-Pro running back averaged just two yards before contact, the second-worst of his career since Pro Football Reference began tracking the statistic in 2018. Henry ran for 566 yards before contact last season, his second-lowest in a full season. Henry's 601 yards after contact were also the second-worst in a full season.
While the Ravens' offensive line has some uncertainty after losing two starters and they could potentially lose another if guard Kevin Zeitler signs elsewhere in free agency, it's fair to assume they wouldn't let those players walk if they didn't believe in the players replacing them or who they could land in the 2024 NFL Draft.
If the Ravens' offensive line can perform like they did last season and Henry still has some gas left in the tank, he could be the missing piece in an offense that was already one of the NFL's best.
