Baltimore Ravens faces off with Pittsburgh Steelers Jan. 4 for playoffs berth
Edward G. Robinson III
AFRO Sports Editor
erobinson@afro.com
As if John Harbaugh needs another back-seat coach drawing up plays, this upcoming game Jan. 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers leaves me no choice but to offer the veteran coach some sage advice.
It’s really quite simple.
Give Derrick Henry the football.
Think about it for a second. Toss it left or right to Henry – that 6-foot-2, 252-lb running back with tree-trunk thighs and bowling ball shoulders.
Give him the football. And repeat.
Are you in agreement? There’s really no room for arguments here considering the Baltimore Ravens have arrived at a crossroads. Entering Week 18 of this ugly NFL season, one marred by injury and misfortune, the Ravens must defeat the Steelers to keep their playoff dreams alive.
It’s win or go home.
In this final week of the regular season, the Ravens must defeat Pittsburgh to capture the AFC North division title. The Ravens have recovered from a rough start, opening the season with a 1-6 record, they have pulled to 8-8, despite playing without MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson, who has nursed an injured back for several weeks, returns to the field as the Ravens travel to Acrisure Stadium to match muscle in the cold with a familiar rival.
It seems like the stakes are always high when these two teams meet late in the season. Yet this is the first time the teams will play for the divisional championship in the final week of the regular season.
The Cleveland Browns made the upcoming game’s stakes possible with a 13-6 win over Pittsburgh (9-7) on Dec. 26.
Harbaugh allowed himself a few hours to root for the Browns during a gathering at his house with coaches and players.
“Great job by the Browns, obviously,” he said in a press conference this week. “… Lot of respect for our division. Our division is a very tough division. Hard fought games in our division across the board. All four of these teams (Cincinnati Bengals included) know how to play each other. That was a great example of AFC North football.”
The Jan. 4 matchup promises more of the same blustery conditions and rival atmosphere. Expect a sea of hardened Steelers fans screaming and waving Terrible Towels.
One way to silence the noise is to establish a dynamic running presence.
Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken have an impressive roster of talent, including Jackson, receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews, but they must call on Henry. Give him the football.
If anyone was watching on Dec. 27, the Ravens dominated the Green Bay Packers, collecting a 41-21 road victory at Lambeau Field. They rushed for 307 yards.
Henry pounded defenders for four quarters, stiff-arming his way to 216 yards and four TDs. He became the NFL’s all-time leader in 200-yard rushing games with seven overall.
“I just wanted to go out there and make something happen,” he said in a press conference following the game.
He made a lot of things happen for the Ravens. Listening to Henry describe his night and what he “prayed” for before the start was interesting.
“I talked about guys just being free,” he said. “Trusting and believing in each other. We’ve been through a lot this season. … We know what we need to do to still be able to give ourselves a chance. Playing for each other and understanding that the Lord is going to be with us regardless.”
Henry credited the team’s emphasis on running the ball and dominating the line of scrimmage. He appreciated the selflessness teammates displayed in sacrificing their bodies on bruising run plays.
His praise came one week following a loss to the New England Patriots where his carries were limited in the fourth quarter and headlines questioned why.
“I got it today,” he said. “I was just worried about being effective with any opportunity that I got. Being efficient in the run game to give ourselves a chance to get into drives. Let those drives end in points and run the ball physically.”
When Henry is focused on running guys over, the Ravens become a bumrushing team that puts opponents on their heels. Check the highlights against Green Bay. In the fourth quarter, he brushed back cornerback Carrington Valentine with a stiff arm like he was opening a curtain.
When running lanes opened, he dashed through them with speed and precision. Mostly, he ran hard – a trademark that makes him one of the league’s toughest tackles.
Henry ranks third in rushing this season with 1,469 yards, following Jonathan Taylor (1,559) and James Cook III (1,606). He’s also popped 16 TD runs.
Calling for Henry to get the ball is a no-brainer.
The guy has bulldozed his way onto the NFL’s list of all-time rushing touchdown leaders. He sits fourth with 122 TDs behind No. 3 Marcus Allen (123), No. 2 LaDainian Tomilson (145) and No. 1 Emmitt Smith (164).
Consider that.
Harbaugh and his staff are certainly capable of devising a game plan that will feature Henry and his prodigious talents.
Still, it’s interesting to note that of the past 35 regular season games between these two teams 28 of them were decided by seven or fewer points. And 19 of those games were decided by three or fewer points.
So, as Henry explained, it would be important to establish a running “identity” against the Steelers – a team filled with defensive stalwarts.
Harbaugh explained that while the Ravens have found success on the ground, the Steelers are one of the best at defending against the run, especially their outside linebackers and defensive ends who make a living shedding blocks and stuffing runs.
He said what has made the Ravens’ running game successful at times is the combination of scheme and execution. Against the Packers, he said, they were successful at zone blocking and setting crack blocks at the edge of attack, springing Henry inside and out.
Harbaugh shrugged off complaints about how Henry was underused, even before he carried the ball 36 times. He only came off the field on third downs and to catch his breath.
No. 22, Harbaugh said, was always part of the game plan.
“It was to lean on him like we did,” he said. “It’s pretty much always the plan that way to a degree. But I would say definitely ramped it up. Conditions. Where we’re at as a team. Where our offense is at. And what we thought was the best way to win the game. It was definitely Derrick Henry.”
It better be.