Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has defied Father Time, sustaining success into his 30s. Eventually, though, this trend will stop. Not to overreact to two bad games, but unfortunately, this could be the beginning of King Henry's downfall.
During the Ravens' embarrassing 35-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Henry ran for just 45 yards on 17 carries (2.6 yards per carry). This was coming off the heels of a game where Henry rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries and a costly fumble against the Cleveland Browns.
Look, Henry's struggles weren't the main reason why the Ravens lost the game. The defense gave up 35 unanswered points in the second half. Still, Henry struggling so much in back-to-back weeks brings up a valid question: Is this simply a rough patch, or is Henry starting to decline?
After the game, Henry called his performance "terrible" and said, "he’s not making plays and not helping his team." I love that he's taking accountability, and his mindset overall is fantastic. Nevertheless, Henry needs to turn things around, or questions about his decline will only become more valid.
It's reasonable to wonder if Derrick Henry is starting to decline
In fairness, the Ravens' run blocking has been subpar in the past two weeks. It wasn't great on Sunday. This has clearly contributed to Henry's struggles. Plus, these past two games have, of course, been without Lamar Jackson, who commands a ton of gravity.
And with Tyler Huntley, opposing defenses can be more aggressive at the line of scrimmage.
Henry also started the season strong, with a 144-yard, three-touchdown game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. More recently, he rushed for 102 yards just two weeks ago. When you put it like this, the last two games simply being a poor stretch feels likely.
Regardless, the Bengals' defense entered Sunday bottom-10 in rushing yards allowed per game. It was an easy opportunity for Henry to right the ship, and he couldn't. Last week, the Browns were without rising talent Mason Graham. The point is that the offensive situation isn'tthe only reason for Henry's recent struggles.
At his best, Henry can overcome bad blocking, especially against a poor run defense. And even when the Ravens' offensive line created openings for him on Sunday, Henry failed to take advantage of them. He lacked his typical explosive element and was far easier to bring down than he usually is. In fact, his longest rush of the day was for just nine yards. As such, there are real signs that this could be a deeper issue, particularly since he's 32.
I'm not saying Henry is totally washed or that he can't bounce back. Even if he doesn't fully regain his form, he'll be an above-average running back. However, it's fair to wonder if he's still a top-tier elite running back, and I don't think that's an overreaction to a couple of bad games.
Henry needs to get back on track fast, or else it will become undeniable that he's declining.
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