The Baltimore Ravens may have the best rushing offense in the league with an average of 206 yards on the ground per game, but their defense will be up against the NFL’s most dominant rusher this week in Derrick Henry.
The former Alabama standout ended off the season by securing the NFL rushing title over the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb, posting 1,540 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 303 rushing attempts and 102.7 rushing yards per game during the regular season.
According to NFL Research, this is the fourth time in history that the No. 1 rushing offense in the league will be up against the league’s leading rusher.
This happened most recently in a 2018 Wild Card game when Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was up against the Seattle Seahawks, back in 1993’s Super Bowl matchup between Cowboys rusher Emmitt Smith and the Buffalo Bills and when Earl Campbell and the 1978 divisional round game between the Houston Oilers’ Earl Campbell and the New England Patriots.
[lawrence-related id=24071]
Derrick Henry & the @Titans vs @Ravens will be the 4th time the leading rusher faces the #1 rush offense in the playoffs. The leading rusher is 3-0 in each of the previous 3 instances.
E. Elliott vs SEA (2018 Wild Card)
E. Smith vs BUF (SB XXVII)
E. Campbell vs NE (1978 Div Rd)— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 9, 2020
The Titans finished out the 2019 season with the No. 21 rushing defense overall, while the Ravens sat at No. 28.
It will be interesting to see just how if either team’s defense can come up with a strong enough answer to bring their opponent’s rushing attack to a halt when they face each other at 7:15 p.m. CST on Saturday in M&T Bank Stadium.
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