In his third year with the Baltimore Ravens, Derrick Henry will finally take on his former team, the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the first eight years of his career. While the Titans as a whole are a manageable matchup, it won't be easy for Henry, who will be squaring off against All-Pro Jeffery Simmons.
Simmons is one of the best all-around defensive tackles. He excels at generating interior pressure and stopping the run. The Ravens, presumably playing Vega Ioane at center and Andrew Vorhees at guard, will add another wrinkle to this matchup.
Look, you can only contain (rather than truly stop) Henry, but few players are a tougher matchup for The King than Simmons. His familiarity with Henry could further give him a path to contain him. Regardless of the matchup, though, Henry can break loose, and there's a strong chance for him to get the best of his old teammate.
As such, this is an ultimate heavyweight battle.
Derrick Henry going up against Jeffery Simmons will be a battle
When speaking to the media this week, Simmons has expressed confidence that he and the Titans will be able to limit Henry.
"Nothing changes with Derrick. He's a big back. Hit his ass. We went vs Skattebo last week, he tried to run people over. Derrick puts his pads on like any other RB. Much respect to Derrick, but we can't overcomplicate the game, just play football," Simmons said.
Look, every athlete should be confident in their ability, and again, Simmons is an elite run stopper. With all due respect, though, Henry is a different monster from Cam Skattebo, and Simmons should know that, being his former teammate.
It's also relevant that, despite Simmons' individual excellence, the Titans have given up the ninth-most rushing yards this season. So yeah, I think there's a path for Henry to have a monster game, as is the case every week.
Henry is taking a similar approach to Simmons. The King isn't trying to make too much of playing his former team, though he acknowledged that it will be crazy to play his old team, considering how much time he spent in Tennessee and, bittersweet, given that they didn't want him back in 2024.
He may not admit it, but I'd have to imagine that playing against a team that didn't want him after an incredible run will give Henry some extra motivation, even subconsciously.
I expect Henry to have a big game every single week. He is as consistent as they come and an unstoppable force when he's running downhill. My expectation is no different against the Titans, even with Simmons.
Still, I won't rule out the possibility that Simmons and company can stop Henry from having a truly dominant game, especially with the Ravens' offensive line injuries. There's no denying it will be a tough matchup, and with two great players squaring off, you never know who could end up with the upper hand.
Even so, the Ravens should be able to walk away with a W, since they can generate some explosive plays in the passing game and pressure Cam Ward on the other side of the ball.
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