Derrick Henry's dominance has often defied logic and he's in position to do so again.
As the Ravens head down the final stretch, Henry is poised to not only continue his torrid pace this season but perhaps get even better.
Over his career, Henry's rushing yards per attempt has risen as the season has gone. Henry has averaged 4.18 yards in September, 4.83 yards in October, 4.95 yards in November, 5.08 yards in December, and 5.89 yards in January.
"Derrick hasn't had a lot of carries, a lot of wear and tear on him this year, so I think it's set up perfectly for him to finish the year like he's capable of and what we expect out of him," Running Backs Coach Willie Taggart said this week. "Derrick is fresh right now, and that's great."
Henry has 240 rushing attempts, which is the second-most in the league through 13 weeks, only behind Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley (246). His 18.5 attempts per game is above last year's 16.5, but well below the previous four seasons when he averaged 23.25.
Henry's carries have fluctuated game-to-game because of various circumstances, as the Ravens have wanted to keep him strong for this December run.
"I think this bye week is perfect timing for us," Taggart said. "He's hungry. He wants to get back. He wishes we were playing this week, but I think the way he trains himself, the way he practices, the way he prepares, he's going to be ready to finish the year like we need him to."
This summer, Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken said he wanted to see Henry to be their "closer." He meant in specific games, which Henry has done several times this season, but that also applies to the arc of the season.
Tackling the 247-pound running back is difficult enough on its own. Doing so in December and January, when the cold settles in and the bruises pile up for defenders, is an even more daunting task. Asked how much Henry relishes closing out games and wearing down defenses, Taggart said Henry just wants every opportunity whenever it comes.
"Derrick wants the ball whenever. Whether it's the beginning of the game, at the end of the game, at halftime, after the game, he wants the ball," Taggart said. "Whenever there is a time to get him to close out a game and help his teammates and help the team win, Derrick wants the ball in his hands so he can do those things."
The Ravens Are Excited About Daniel Faalele's Progress
Daniel Faalele won the Ravens' right guard job out of training camp, and his coaches' faith in him continues to grow.
Faalele is graded as the 30th best starting guard in the NFL in pass protection, via Pro Football Focus, allowing 24 pressures and just one sack in 432 pass blocking reps.
"I think Daniel's doing a great job. I am excited about him. Every week he gets a little bit better," Offensive Line Coach George Warhop said.
"He's a big, physical dude. What truly is impressive is his pass [protection]. What's really impressive is to watch him change direction in short area and get his hands on guys. That's still a work in progress – his hands. But the way he moves laterally, and the things he can do in pass [protection] I think is pretty impressive, so I'm excited about him and his future."
Lamar Jackson Showed His Character Late Against Eagles
The Ravens were trailing the Eagles by 12 points with just more than a minute remaining in Sunday's game. At that point, Lamar Jackson could have moved on and come out of the game.
But that's not how Jackson is wired, and he drove the Ravens down the field with a 39-yard scramble and 11-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with three seconds left.
While the late score didn't change the outcome of the game, it did illustrate the kind of character Jackson has as a leader.
"The scramble says it all about who he is and how much he wants to win and not quit," Quarterbacks Coach Tee Martin said. "Because anybody could've just got out the pocket, slid or whatever. He was trying to score and get in the game, onside kick, get the ball back, win the game."
Martin said Jackson carried that same energy into the postgame locker room.
"He kind of had the feeling of, 'I hate that we have a bye week, because I want to play next week to get this off my chest,' type of feeling," Martin said. "So, he was that way [Monday] too, so hopefully [he'll] get away a little bit for the body and for the mind and comes back refreshed with that same energy heading into Giants week."
Justice Hill Is Called the 'Junkyard Dog'
While Henry is having a spectacular season, Justice Hill's contributions shouldn't be overlooked.
Hill already has set career-highs in catches (37) and receiving yards (322), and he's playing a career-high 45% of the offensive snaps. Add in 191 rushing yards and all the work he's done in pass protection, and Hill has contributed in numerous ways.
The two-year contract extension the Ravens reached with Hill on Sept. 20 is already looking very good.
"I call Justice 'The Junkyard Dog.' He does everything for us, and he does it with a smile," Taggart said. "He doesn't complain. He doesn't whine. I mean every single day that guy comes in the office, he is smiling, ready to go.
"And then you see it on the football field. When we need a first down, I call Justice. Justice will go out and get it for us. He's just a workhorse. He's a phenomenal pro."
