Derrick Henry can carry an offense, but the Ravens won't always ask him to.
The Ravens have leaned heavily on the NFL's leading rusher during their current two-game winning streak, with Henry rolling for 350 yards and three touchdowns.
However, Baltimore's offense hasn't become one dimensional.
Lamar Jackson has completed 78.1% of his passes over the last two games, with three touchdown passes, no interceptions, and a 137.4 quarterback rating. Justice Hill had a career-high 78 yards receiving in Sunday's 35-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills, adding a key dimension as a reliable target out of the backfield.
Jackson likes how the Ravens' offense is evolving, largely due to its versatility. If future opponents put more emphasis on stopping Henry, Jackson is confident the Ravens will quickly pivot to something else that works.
"They have to get prepared for those guys who are running those routes – our receivers and our tight ends and sometimes our running backs," Jackson said.
"It's just playing chess and not checkers out there on that field. That's basically what it is with our offense, because any given game depending on what the defense is giving us, [it's like,] 'OK they're stopping the run, so now we just air it out, or if they're stopping the pass – they're going Cover 2, cover four quarters and stuff like that – we [are] running the ball. It's hard to defend us, that's what I believe."
The Ravens are No. 1 in total offense and have climbed to No. 4 in scoring, averaging 26.5 points per game. They averaged 28.4 points in 2023 and believe they have the potential to be higher scoring this season in Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken's second year.
Monken agrees with Jackson that if opponents begin loading the box to stop Henry, the Ravens will be forced to move the ball consistently in other ways.
"As you're doing something well, there's no way you're not developing some form of tendencies," Monken said. "Your tendency is to run it. What are they going to do schematically, personnel wise to combat that? We have to have enough to be able to attack it.
"I think the best teams are able to win in a variety of ways and modes. You need to be able to run it when you need to run it, you need to be able to throw it when you have to throw it. We've been pretty good that way when we've been clean, penalty free. We've just got to work to be cleaner in everything we do."
Jackson opened the season rushing for 122 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, but now it's Henry who's hammering opponents.
In addition to building chemistry with Baltimore's offense line, Henry is benefitting from running behind four-time Pro Bowl fullback Pat Ricard, who's a crucial part of igniting the ground game. Ricard has made a key block on several of Henry's longest runs, including the 87-yard house call on the first play against the Bills.
The presence of a versatile fullback like Ricard is a critical part of Baltimore's offensive DNA.
"Pat's a valuable piece for what we're able to do," Monken said. "He gives us the ability to run downhill, to run the C gap. We wouldn't be the same offense without him."
However, the Ravens know there will be times this season when their passing attack needs to take the lead, especially if they are trailing in the second half. Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who has been an effective blocker all season, has gone two straight games without a catch for the first time in his career. Tight end Isaiah Likely has four catches for 56 yards over the past three games after exploding for nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown Week 1 against Kansas City.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said before the season that the production from Baltimore's playmakers could vary greatly from week to week and that has held true. With so many playmakers to spread the ball to, the players understand that getting wins is more important than getting stats.
"Sometimes you might not get the ball, but we've got all these great guys on our offense that's helping us win games, including Mark," Jackson said. "Mark is playing a huge role for us just doing what he's doing – blocking, running routes, running guys out and finding other guys to be open. He's just being a team player right now."
Monken said he is fully aware of how closely pundits critique the Ravens' offense, with opinions varying greatly from week to week.
"That will drive you crazy if you listen to that," Monken said. "Two weeks ago [according to sports talk shows], we were the worst team, and terrible."
The last two weeks have been more to Monken's liking. The Ravens appear to be hitting their stride offensively and are prepared to counterpunch if defenses become more focused on keeping Henry from dominating.
"Have we been cleaner? Yes," Monken said. "Have we run the ball better? Yes.
"At the end of the day, we have to stay true to what we believe in. Whether we're throwing it, or whether we're running it, the best thing we can do is strive to be as consistent as we can be in all facets of our offense."
