TAMPA, Fla. — Lamar Jackson is barely 27, has already been an NFL MVP twice and is making a case to win a 3rd. Pretty or unfairly, he has reached a stage of elite play that’s judged initially by championships.
And as wonderful as Jackson was in Monday’s 41-31 win over the Bucs — 5 touchdowns, no interceptions, a gaudy 12.8 yards per cross try — what was much more spectacular was what Derrick Henry has added to this Baltimore offense.
When the Ravens misplaced on their house subject to the Chiefs within the AFC Championship Recreation in January, their main rusher moreover Jackson was working again Gus Edwards, with 20 yards on three carries. When Baltimore misplaced to the Payments within the 2020 playoffs, the highest again bought 42 yards; in 2018 to the Chargers, it was Edwards with 23 yards; in 2019 to the Titans, it was Mark Ingram with 22 yards.
In that Tennessee sport, Henry ran the ball 30 occasions for 195 yards, the form of huge dashing efficiency that takes over playoff video games. Jackson hasn’t had that on his facet earlier than. In his six NFL seasons, Baltimore has had only one 1,000-yard again — Ingram in 2019.
Now Jackson and the Ravens might need a 2,000-yard again.
Henry will flip 31 earlier than the common season ends, however he is off to an unbelievable begin together with his new workforce. He leads the NFL with 873 dashing yards, placing him on tempo for two,120, which might break Eric Dickerson’s single-season document, albeit in 17 video games. Henry is averaging 6.5 yards per carry, a full yard higher than he averaged when he rushed for two,027 yards in 2020. No again has ever had two 2,000-yard seasons, and it could be a becoming tribute to Henry if he did so.
The Ravens scored on six straight possessions in pulling away from the Bucs on Monday, and the largest play was Henry breaking free for an 81-yard run down the sideline. Naturally, he was upset he did not end ultimately zone.
“I am gradual as hell. I bought knocked out of bounds,” Henry stated after the sport. “I do not need to speak about it. … It pissed me off to see that. I am pissed off by that.”
Henry had an 87-yard landing three weeks in the past in opposition to the Payments, which is to say he is had two 80-yard runs in his 30s. All the NFL had two such runs within the earlier 12 seasons mixed. They have been each by Adrian Peterson, who had one in 2015 and one other in 2018. He performed seven full seasons in his 30s — and has as many 80-yard runs as Henry does in eight video games in his 30s.
The perfect second Monday night time might need come later, when Henry broke out for a 39-yard run within the fourth quarter. At a time when followers are questioning about pulling starters, Jackson was 30 yards downfield and blocking defenders for Henry. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was requested about Jackson’s blocking after the sport, and had a narrative for instance his reward.
“We do one thing known as the Brown Shirt,” Harbaugh defined. “And the Brown Shirt, we are saying each time we give it out after a win, ‘It is our most prestigious award.’ And the Brown Shirt Award is a nod to the Navy SEALs, as a result of whenever you get by BUDS [basic underwater demolition/SEAL training], and also you grow to be a SEAL, you get a brown shirt. That is my understanding.
[Ravens director of learning and development] Steve Clagget is a former Navy SEAL on our workers, and he took me by the historical past of that for somewhat bit, and we have been doing the Brown Shirt for about 13-to-14 years — a very long time. And it goes to the man that does the soiled work; it goes to the man that does the arduous stuff. So, primarily based on that block proper there, I feel Lamar may get his first Brown Shirt this week.”
The Ravens have gained 5 video games in a row, they usually’ve grow to be essentially the most dominant offense within the NFL — first in whole offense, tied for first in scoring, first in dashing, first in yards per cross play, first within the purple zone, second on third downs. They’re within the high 5 in fewest sacks and interceptions. With Jackson main the way in which, he’ll have a powerful case for one more MVP in the event that they’re something near sustaining this, however his success will likely be measured in what number of playoff video games Baltimore wins.
The Chiefs are undefeated, so it could possibly be that an AFC title sport rematch could possibly be at Arrowhead this time, as a substitute of in Baltimore because it was a yr in the past. Apart from maybe Sam Darnold in Minnesota, the Ravens including Henry appears like one of many smartest signings of this previous offseason, a transfer that could possibly be a difference-maker in Baltimore and Jackson’s legacy transferring ahead.
The Ravens nonetheless should face the Steelers twice and deal with enterprise there simply to win their division, they usually’ll play on Christmas at Houston in one other sport that would arrange AFC seeding and the place playoff showdowns will happen. Within the chilly of January, in Baltimore or Kansas Metropolis and even Buffalo, a workhorse again like Henry carries much more weight.
Monday’s win gave Jackson a 23-1 profession document in opposition to NFC groups, an insanely dominant stat that factors to how troublesome it’s for groups that do not see him usually to arrange for making an attempt to cease him. It makes you marvel if he may add to that document in a Tremendous Bowl.
Henry hasn’t gained a playoff sport in 5 years, and like Jackson, has by no means been to a Tremendous Bowl, so he’ll be hungry to construct on his Corridor of Fame résumé, which is barely actually lacking a powerful postseason presence. This Ravens workforce has an opportunity to be essentially the most prolific dashing workforce within the Tremendous Bowl period. They’re averaging 210 yards per sport, on tempo to interrupt the document of 206 set by Jackson and Baltimore in 2019.
The concept Jackson would not have to steer that effort, that Henry is on the market working in entrance of him, that is what may take the Ravens from perennial contenders to champions this season.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You possibly can observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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