With a volume of 27 carries, Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry shredded the Texans for 147 rushing yards and one touchdown and finished with an average of 5.4 yards per carry on Christmas Day.
The theory has been proven for offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and now he must accept that the higher the volume of carries Henry receives, the more optimal the Ravens offensive unit will continue to be.
Did what Kings do. pic.twitter.com/dnpRv7PQ2v
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 26, 2024
Henry hurt the Texans’ defense, which spent a whopping 35 minutes on the field, according to time of possession statistics. The Ravens yielded 25 first downs but continued to produce sizable chunk plays that helped them dictate the pace and tempo on the road.
THE KING.
TOUCHDOWN RAVENS!! TUNE IN ON @netflix. pic.twitter.com/EaoCzIrg9K
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 25, 2024
Monken’s goal should be obvious: give Henry the ball as much as possible. Of the Ravens’ 451 total yards on offense yesterday, 251 came on the ground, not through the air.
NFL Analysts can’t even call it a balanced attack because the Ravens had 43 rushing plays compared to just 15 passing plays in the 31-2 win. These statistics are nearly unheard of in today’s pass-first NFL, but it’s a formula that continues to work for the Ravens.Â