J.K. Dobbins and Ravens run game can upstage Derrick Henry

Two great teams at running the football enter: Here’s how J.K. Dobbins and the Ravens can upstage Derrick Henry‘s Titans:

The Baltimore Ravens have a chance to prove that they’re the best team at running the football in the National Football League when they battle the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs. Last year, Derrick Henry ruled the day. Henry even had his way in the regular season battle a couple of months ago. The Ravens may one-up him this time.

One thing that is apparent is that the run game is rolling to a whole new level for Baltimore this season. They were about 20 yards away from the NFL team record for the most rushing yards in a game, in week 17.

The week before Baltimore put up 249 yards against the New York Giants. In their 47-42 win over the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore had 231 yards on the ground. That proves it’s not just bad teams that the Ravens can play bully ball against.

The Ravens have a three-headed monster when it comes to running the football. They have J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and then there’s the quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Jackson led the way with 1,005 rushing yards averaging 6.3 yards per rushing attempt. J.K. Dobbins picked up 805 yards picking up six yards a pop. Gus Edwards picked up 723 yards with five yards per rushing attempt. Don’t forget about Mark Ingram either, or Devin Duvernay as a jet sweep threat.

Dobbins seems to be heating up. In the first game against the Titans Dobbins rushed for 70 yards. Since then, Dobbins had two other games with just over 70 yards rushing and in the season finale he picked up 160 yards. Dobbins was preserved by having a great running back group.

In the playoffs last year the Ravens weren’t at full strength running the football. Mark Ingram was the player that got things going for them and he was hurt for that game. If Ingram was 100 percent for the game it may have changed how they looked at their gameplan. There is no built-in excuse for abandoning the run game this time. The Ravens are going to stick with it and look for big plays on the ground.

When the Ravens need a spark, it seems to be Dobbins who gives it to them. In three of the last five games, Dobbins has a carry for at least 25 yards. He’s capable of a big play and it can come out of nowhere.

Derrick Henry may be the biggest star at the running back position, yet Dobbins may have his coming out party into the NFL postseason. If the Ravens play the way they’ve been playing of late, and the Titans’ defense doesn’t elevate for the postseason, Baltimore could play keep away from the Titans’ offense.

Putting points on the board will be crucially important for Baltimore. The more pressure that Tennessee has to score the fewer chances Henry gets to run the rock. The Ravens dropping 40 on the Titans isn’t out of the question. Regardless of what happened last time with Corey Davis and A.J. Brown, the Ravens still want to make Ryan Tannehill have to beat them. Putting points on the board and getting off to a hot start is imperative.

The Bottom Line:

The formula is simple. The Ravens have to go on long scoring drives that feature the run game. Henry is going to get his production. If the Ravens’ offense puts up 200-300 yards on the ground, something that is shockingly very possible for them, it won’t matter if Henry picks up 100 on the ground.

The Ravens and the Titans are the best running teams in the NFL. Baltimore needs to beat Tennessee with their own medicine, a run game nobody wants to deal with. Baltimore needs to upstage the NFL rushing champion of the 2020 regular season.