Over the past five NFL seasons, Derrick Henry has 224 more regular-season rushing attempts than any other running back, even though he’s missed 11 games during that time.
All 1,529 of those carries came with the Tennessee Titans, where his usage illustrates Henry’s status as the focal point of the team’s attack. In March, the former Alabama All-American joined the Baltimore Ravens in free agency, putting him in the same backfield with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, the team’s quarterback.
“It definitely brings a different aspect, because he is a dual-threat quarterback,” Henry said on Tuesday, “and he’s dangerous with his legs just as he is with his arm. It’s going to be fun and a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention, knowing that eyes are going to be on him as well. But I’m just excited to get to work and put the work in out here and let it all come together, when it’s that time.”
While Jackson may absorb some of Henry’s defensive attention, the running back hopes that works in both directions for the Baltimore offense this season. “I think me just doing my job and executing, being efficient in everything that I do so we help one another,” said Henry. “My job is being explosive, making explosive runs, being a threat in the run game and anywhere else they ask me to help out this offense, so it’s just on me to focus on doing my job, just so I’m a threat to opposing defenses.
” On Tuesday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh detailed what the team intended to accomplish with a two-time NFL MVP quarterback and a two-time NFL rushing champion at running back.
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