The 2019 Baltimore Ravens seemed poised for a Super Bowl, or at least the opportunity to play for one. The franchise’s dreams to lock down their third Lombardi trophy came to a halt as they faced the Tennessee Titans, the heavy underdogs.
The game, which concluded with a final score of 12-28, ended the Ravens chances of winning it all.
There was one player that separated the two teams. Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry.
Henry was such a factor in the loss that Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis told the team that he should be the defensive focal point of their offseason.
The Ravens entered the game with three Heisman winners on their roster, an elite offense, headlined by the eventual MVP winner, Lamar Jackson and a defense that sent offensive coordinators home questioning their own job security.
Baltimore’s defense against the run was unrivaled. Finishing the season having faced the least amount of rushing attempts in the league with 340 carries, ranked No. 28 in the NFL for total rushing yards against (1,494) and only allowed 12 rushing touchdowns (ranked No. 22).
Throughout the regular season, they held four teams under 35 yards on the ground, only allowed three teams to rush for over 150 yards and held Nick Chubb to 45 rushing yards in their Week 16 contest vs. Cleveland, despite Chubb finishing the 2019 season ranking No. 2 among ball carriers in yards per game with 93.4 – second only to Derrick Henry.
All of the aforementioned stats and rankings were thrown out the window when Baltimore faced the Titans in the AFC Divisional round of the 2019 NFL playoff.
Henry ran the ball 30 times for 195 yards, the highest amount the Ravens allowed during the 2019 season, and didn’t manage to run into the end zone, but threw for a touchdown on a trick play.
The impact Henry had was so deep that it appears Baltimore’s front office is heading Lewis’ advice to make the former Alabama standout their offseason defensive focal point.
As their season ended, the hunt to construct a defense to stop Henry began.
They traded for five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and extended his contract by one season. The defense also saw the addition of defensive end Derek Wolfe, who was a member of the Denver Broncos’ most recent Super Bowl winning squad.
The addition Campbell and Wolfe was welcomed by the teams standout linebacker Matt Judon, who believes they are players who “know how to make plays in big games.” Perhaps Judon believes the team could have used the two defensive ends in their last “big game” against the Titans?
Judon was also a key piece to Baltimore’s reload/rebuild in an attempt to defend against a player like Henry. The Ravens decided to use their 2020 franchise tag on the Pro Bowl linebacker.
The Ravens also utilized the draft as a way to bring in young players that can have an immediate impact.
In the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, they drafted LSU’s standout linebacker, Patrick Queen. In the third round they selected linebacker Malik Harrison from Ohio state. Both rookies are expected to have starting roles in the 2020 defensive scheme.
Thankfully, the wait to see a Henry vs. Ravens matchup won’t be dependent on the two meeting in the playoffs, Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season will see the the matchup in Baltimore.
It’s on Nov. 22, 2020 where the Ravens will either get revenge on the running back that cost them the chance at a title, or Henry will cement himself as an elite running back that can’t be stopped.