One of the major talking points of the Baltimore Ravens' second-half collapse to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 was Derrick Henry's low usage. After a stellar first-half showing, Henry got just five carries in the second half. Against the Dallas Cowboys, this trend can't continue.
Henry is the team's best weapon (especially with Zay Flowers' status being uncertain), and the Cowboys struggle to stop the run. Notably, the Cowboys have given up 347 rushing yards, which is the third most in the league. That's against Cam Skattebo and a split backfield of Rachaad White and Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt. Henry is another monster, and the Ravens have to make the Cowboys feel his wrath.
As such, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has the perfect opportunity to correct Henry's low usage from last week and prove this won't be a regular issue (as it was for Todd Monken).
Declan Doyle and the Baltimore Ravens must unleash Derrick Henry on Sunday
Doyle and the Ravens must establish the run game early, which they did last week, but they can't abandon it when it works. The fastest way to build and maintain a lead for the Ravens will be to hammer the run game with Henry. Despite the understandable excitement about Doyle giving the offense some more versatility, at their core, the Ravens are still a run-heavy team.
Henry is an unstoppable force, and Doyle needs to treat him like it. Even good defenses will struggle with Henry. Poor defenses like the Cowboys', though? Henry will destroy those with ease. As a refresher, he racked up 144 yards and three touchdowns against a similarly poor Indianapolis Colts' defense.
Again, with Flowers' status still up in the air, there's simply no reason not to run everything through Henry.
Last week, the Ravens struggled immensely in the pass game, especially down the stretch of the game. Between their poor pass protection and lack of established weapons outside of Flowers, this wasn't a major surprise.
The perfect (and obvious) solution, though, is to run the ball a ton.
Doyle sounds like he's ready to feed Henry
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Doyle opened up about his decision to go for a deep pass on 3rd-and-1 instead of running it up the middle with Henry.
"Obviously, after it doesn't convert, I wish I called any other play on my sheet, but that is the way it goes, and that's life in the business," Doyle said. "And you've got to be calculated, and yet at the same point in time, I am very aware that Derrick Henry's on our roster, and I love Derrick, and it really has to start with our run game; that's the way our offense is."
I've been critical of Doyle for this decision and his overall handling of Henry last week, but I still believe in him and think he's a great OC. How you respond to mistakes is a crucial part of coaching.
Thankfully, it seems like Doyle is learning from his mistakes and ready to emphasize Henry in the run game for the entire game. Let's not forget Doyle is just 30 years old and a first-year play-caller. While it's frustrating, I can live with and understand some mistakes. To some extent, it's inevitable, given his age and lack of experience. Plus, it's much better if they happen in September rather than January.
Regardless, Doyle needs to bounce back and learn from his mistakes, and Sunday's game against the Cowboys gives him an ideal chance to do just that.
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