Derrick Henry Can Make or Break Ravens Season

Expectations for Derrick Henry are high in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens.

RB Derrick Henry: Signed by Baltimore Ravens (previous team: Tennessee Titans) / Andrew Nelles / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the ground game already being the main focus of the Baltimore Ravens' offense, why not double down and make the rushing attack that much harder to stop?

That's exactly the mindset the Ravens took into the offseason, as they signed two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry to add a bruising presence on the ground. Henry, the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year, may now be in his 30s, but he's still more than capable of surpassing 1,000 yards and he's a monster in short-yardage situations.

As the new lead back in Baltimore, expectations are naturally very high for Henry with his new team. How high? Well, according to Bleacher Report's Alex Kay, Henry is the player that will make or break the Ravens' entire season (excluding quarterbacks).

"If Henry can stay healthy, the Ravens will gain an edge they haven't had in recent postseason trips," Kay writes. "Baltimore hasn't had a running back top 1,000 rushing yards since Mark Ingram did in 2019, and its backfield has been even less impactful in the playoffs. Justice Hill led the team with 69 yards on 16 carries in two postseason games last year, while J.K. Dobbins had a team-high 62 yards on 13 carries in the Ravens' 2022 Wild Card Round loss.

"Across his career, Henry has averaged more than 100 rushing yards in the playoffs and has scored four rushing touchdowns in seven postseason games. He has a track record of coming up big when it matters most, too."

While he was with the Tennessee Titans, Henry was often the bane of the Ravens' existence in both the regular season and especially the playoffs. Now, he's the one who can be the bane of existence for opposing defenses as he and the Ravens chase a Super Bowl ring.

Make sure you bookmark Ravens Country for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens Land Three On All-Decade Draft
• Ravens Rookie WR Could Play Major Role
• Ravens Radio Host Slams Patrick Queen For Steelers Comments
• Ravens Rookie Following In Father's Footsteps
• Ravens Showed Love to Lamar Jackson This Offseason