Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry make the Baltimore Ravens a “two-headed monster,” says Ndamukong Suh | NFL News
Derrick Henry can make a difference down the stretch as the Baltimore Ravens continue their efforts to open the door to the Super Bowl, says Ndamukong Suh.
Henry came to bolster the Ravens’ backfield in the offseason, signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the AFC North team after playing eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Baltimore established themselves as one of the NFL’s leading Super Bowl contenders in 2023 when they posted a league-best 13-4 record during the regular season, only to fall to the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Super Bowl Champion Defensive Tackle Suh, who returns to the Sky Sports NFL team this season, believes that Henry’s substitution could bring the Ravens the win.
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“I think we’re going to have a great year with the Ravens, seeing what they accomplished in the offseason,” Suh said Sky Sports.
“They have Derrick Henry at running back and Lamar Jackson seems much fitter and capable of taking the offense to a new level.
“Their defense is top-notch every year, I think that’s something the Ravens pride themselves on.
“They suffered a tough loss to the Chiefs in the last playoffs and I think they want revenge.”
Henry has led the league in rushing in four of the last five seasons and won two straight rushing yards in 2019 and 2020. He is expected to form a fearsome tandem alongside Jackson, the league’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterback. Jackson rushed for 821 yards last season in a more expansive Todd Monken offense that has placed a greater emphasis on showcasing the passing talents of the league’s MVP.
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In the podcast Inside The Huddle, Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold say that the signing of Derrick Henry offers the Baltimore Ravens an exciting additional offensive option.
“It’s going to be interesting because you have a two-headed monster. You have Lamar Jackson and you have Derrick Henry.
“But Derrick Henry as a whole is just a great, quality running back. He catches the ball out of the backfield and can obviously run downhill against your defense.
“What I learned from playing against him and holding him under 100 yards in several games against the Tennessee Titans over the past few years is that you need a group tackle and the defense can’t let him get going because once he gets going, it’s very, very difficult to stop him.”
Ultimately, it was the ground battles that the Ravens seemed to fall short in the playoffs: Baltimore could only score 16 runs against the dominant defense of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Suh believes the true impact of Henry’s presence may not be apparent until the season heats up.
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“That’s huge. If you don’t have a running game, it’s going to be very difficult, especially in this day and age, because people just stick their ears up and get to the quarterback,” Suh added.
“There are very athletic defenses today that are capable of attacking great quarterbacks. You don’t want your running back or quarterback running for his life all the time.
“So if you can have that running game, it opens up opportunities and makes it a lot easier to score touchdowns and make big plays.”
So often it was Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense that were at the center of Kansas City’s recent Super Bowl success, but Steve Spagnuolo’s defense would prove to be a key factor in their triumph in 2023, leading the franchise to a second consecutive championship.
Trent McDuffie and the now-departed L’Jarius Sneed shone as cornerbacks, while Chris Jones and George Karlaftis led the rotation-boosted pass rush, helping the Chiefs finish second in yards and points.
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“This defense is one of a kind and has carried it all season, so you have to give a lot of credit to the elite players this team has,” Suh said.
“Chris Jones got paid at the end of the season, he will be hungry to move on and pursue another championship. He is a key lynchpin on this defensive line.”
“They had great cornerbacks last year, then they lost Sneed. Now it’s about being able to replace him and have the next guy step in.
“I’ve always believed that defense wins championships at the end of the day. Yes, Mahomes and Travis Kelce and all the great talent they have there, but when you get into the thick of the action and the playoffs and the defense isn’t playing along, you’re going to be in big trouble.”
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