By now, everyone knows the Cowboys couldn’t afford Derrick Henry. On Sunday, though, the Ravens’ running back made Dallas look like a team that couldn’t afford not to have signed Henry.
In a 28-25 win at AT&T Stadium, no play epitomized Baltimore’s day against the Cowboys’ defense more than Henry’s 29-yard run on a third-quarter touchdown drive. After juking Trevon Diggs, Henry posterized rookie cornerback Caelen Carson with a signature stiff-arm.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Monday that his offensive line “took a step” in the right direction, and got some of the best perimeter blocking he can remember to complement the Ravens’ ground attack. And fantasy owners, look away now, because that means Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for only two targets in the win, with one reception for 4 yards.
“Mark Andrews had 3-4 pancake blocks,” Harbaugh said of his tight end, who helped spring Lamar Jackson into the end zone on his 9-yard run in the first quarter.
Likely, who lined up in a split backfield with Henry, also supplied a key block on that run. Clearly, a team that had identity questions a week ago had no such issues on Sunday.
Led by Henry and Jackson, the Ravens averaged 6.1 yards per carry, compiling 274 yards on 45 attempts with three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came from Henry, who totaled 174 scrimmage yards (151 rushing, 23 receiving). Henry now has 12 NFL games with at least 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Per the NFL, that’s tied with Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson for No. 2 in league annals. Only Hall of Famer Jim Brown (13 games) has more.
Baltimore returns home to host the Bills in a potential AFC playoff preview on Sunday Night Football in Week 4.