Derrick Henry makes Dallas his home in the offseason, but he wants to make the Cowboys and their fans miserable on Sunday.
Had the Ravens not pursued Henry during the offseason, he would have considered joining the Cowboys. However, the Ravens brought Henry to Baltimore and he’s very happy with how things played out.
“If Baltimore wasn’t interested, then I was thinking maybe Dallas because I live there,” Henry said. “It’d be a convenient spot. But Baltimore was interested and I’m thankful.
“Dallas is where I live in the offseason, and there are a lot of friends and family that will come to the game. I haven’t played there since 2018; I played there two times in college. It’s always a great environment.”
Henry is averaging 4.2 yards per carry with two touchdowns through two games, and his performance in Week 2 (18 carries, 84 yards) included a season-long 29-yard run that included his first monster stiff arm as a Raven. However, Baltimore still dropped a 26-23 decision to the Las Vegas Raiders and the offense hasn’t put together a consistent four-quarter performance.
Henry isn’t worried and remains patient through the growing pains.
“There’s going to be kinks on the way to being a great offense,” Henry said. “You figure those things out throughout the season. It’s not always going to be glitter; there can be some gloom. You’re going to have some bumps and bruises along the way. That’s kind of what’s going on. We’re still trying to figure it out. But once we get there, I think we can have something special. We’ve just got to keep working.”
Henry said he harbors no ill will toward the Cowboys for not trying to sign him during the offseason. But he’s hungry for a win regardless of the opponent.
“The only motivation is to be 1-2 instead of 0-3,” Henry said. “That’s the only motivation we need.”
Ravens Could Use More Jumbo Sets to See Extra Linemen
There’s plenty of chatter around Baltimore about rotating in different offensive linemen. Part of the solution may be adding more linemen.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken added more blockers to the mix in an effort to slow down defensive end Maxx Crosby last week. According to Next Gen Stats (NGS), the Ravens aligned at least two players as extra blockers on the right side of the formation on half of the third & medium/long plays (3+ yards to go) in Week 2. By comparison, extra blockers line up on the right side on average 18% of the time around the league.
Crosby still wreaked havoc on the Ravens offense, but it’s a formula the Ravens could tweak by adding not just extra blockers, but extra offensive linemen. Per NGS, the Ravens used six offensive linemen (jumbo formation) 21 times last season. When they also used at least one tight end, it was among their most successful personnel groupings.
It could be an avenue for the Ravens to use guard Ben Cleveland, veteran Josh Jones, or somebody else as the sixth blocker, especially against a banged-up Cowboys defensive line.
“Those guys are good football players,” Monken said Thursday. “We’re just not able to get them all on the field at once.”
Dak Prescott Hosted Lamar Jackson on a College Visit
If Dak Prescott had been a better salesman, Lamar Jackson may have never gone to Louisville.
Prescott told the Dallas media Thursday that he hosted Jackson on a visit to Mississippi State before Jackson made his decision in early 2015.
Sunday’s game will mark the first time the two star quarterbacks face each other in the NFL. Prescott missed the 2020 Ravens-Cowboys after suffering a fractured ankle earlier that season.
“I’ve been a fan of him since Louisville,” Prescott said.
Another thing Jackson and Prescott share is that they each were the NFL’s highest-paid players in average salary. Jackson briefly held that title last year and Prescott claimed it earlier this month with a four-year, $240 million extension.
Coaches Confident Justin Tucker Will Rebound
The Ravens and Justin Tucker are just as surprised as anyone that he’s missed six 50+ yard field goals (including a block) since the start of last season.
But with a player of that stature and pedigree, Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton said there’s not much he or Senior Special Teams Coach Randy Brown say to Tucker.
“We kind of let him be,” Horton said. “I think we each individually talk to him on the side just to see where he is. But it’s Tucker, man. Being around him for as long as I’ve been around him, I don’t think anything really truly fazes this guy. He has a process and way he’s going to do things. I think he knows how he’s going to get himself out of whatever situation he’s in.
“I just want to know how he’s doing. It’s OK. It happens. He’s human. I still believe he’s the best kicker in this game. You just let him go out and let him be himself.”