Ravens' Rushing Attack Wears Down Chargers

The Baltimore Ravens dominated in the trenches yet again.

Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs the ball ahead of Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Elijah Molden (22) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Everyone knows how dangerous the Baltimore Ravens' ground game is when firing on all cylinders, but many might not know what truly makes it so effective.

Yes, the long, highlight-reel runs are certainly impressive, but the slow, methodical runs are just as important if not more so. With their run-heavy scheme, the Ravens are able to slowly wear down opposing defenses over the course of the game and control the flow.

Monday's 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was a perfect example, as Derrick Henry ran 24 times for 140 yards on the night. With the King averaging nearly six yards per carry, the Ravens were able to slowly grind the Chargers' defense down and take over the game.

"[Henry] is just persistent," tight end Mark Andrews said postgame. "He's so good and so talented, if not the greatest of all time to do what he does. To have him on our field – with [No.] 8 [Lamar Jackson] and [No.] 22 [Derrick Henry] – it's dynamic. Just being there for those guys and getting that run game going ... He's just an incredible player."

Despite a strong overall performance, Henry did not reach the end zone for the first time as a Raven on Monday night. Not that it bothers him, though, because he played his part and then some in the win.

"I don't think I pay attention to the wear down part," Henry said. "I just can tell when we're in a rhythm and we're string plays together and everybody's doing a great job in the run game for us to have success. That's a good feeling when you have good things like that. Like I said, this is a great defense, so the offensive line and everybody blocking did a great job for us to have success in the run game."

Once Henry grinded the defense down, the Ravens turned to Justice Hill for the knockout punch. With just under half a quarter to go, Hill burst through the seam for a 51-yard touchdown, the longest run of his career, to put the Ravens up by two scores.

"I let [Henry] do most of the wearing down, and then I'll come in and do a little something after. He's a great teammate to have. We just have a long way to go and just going to continue to win.

Nobody wants to stand in front of [Henry] every single play, every single run. You can do it one time, two times, three times, but when you have to do it 20 to 25 times, it starts to wear down. I'm glad we stuck with the run game this game, and it played out for us."

After punting on their first two drives, the Ravens' offense came alive as they scored on their next five possessions. That's the kind of offense they want to play moving forward, and it starts and ends with the ground game.

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