The Baltimore Ravens are going into the 2024 season with one of the most intriguing quarterback-running back tandems in the NFL with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
The two stars will have to take some time to work things out but the pairing should be a great one. Even with Henry exiting his prime, he's still a force in the open field and a touchdown-scoring machine. Jackson, fresh off of an MVP season, now has a star-level backfield mate to give Baltimore a strong balance on offense. Both stars are excited to play together and hope it culminates in a Super Bowl.
Henry said having a quarterback he can rely on will go a long way, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Concerns about his health will linger but he should be in better shape in an offense that won’t require him to run until his legs fall off.
“It definitely brings a different aspect, because he is a dual-threat quarterback, and he’s dangerous with his legs just as he is with his arm,” Henry said on Tuesday, via The Athletic. “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.”
Being on a team like the Ravens should be a massive relief for Henry, who has had to carry a massive workload for his Tennesee Titans offenses over the years. Poor quarterback play meant that defenses had a much easier time keying in on him, which led Tennessee to give him an even bigger workload. That won’t be the case with the Flock.
Derrick Henry pairing up with Lamar Jackson should make Ravens more potent on offense
In his last two seasons with the Titans, Henry showed more capability of being a receiver out of the backfield, recording 61 receptions and 612 receiving yards. Making him more versatile in that regard should make the transition to a new team much easier and make the Ravens' offense more dangerous.
The Ravens are making a bet that Henry can take the offense to a higher level than the duo of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, though the latter's frequent injuries prevented Baltimore from making the most of the tandem. Henry's track record is as great as they come — five 1,000-yard campaigns in his last six seasons, with the lone exception being 937 in eight games in 2021 — but as he ages, it will be interesting to see how often Baltimore turns to him and with what plays.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken wants Henry to be the Ravens' closer of games, someone who rushes the ball down the opposing team's throat when the team is up. That’s certainly going to be the case in a lot of games on such a good team. Having Henry keeping the chains on the move and draining the clock will make comebacks against Baltimore very tough.
