The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday but suffered a serious loss when running back Justice Hill suffered a head injury. Midway through the second quarter, the running back took a carry for a first down and landed on his head. The Ravens medical staff quickly ruled out the running back with a concussion, sidelining him for the rest of the game.
As of this posting, we do not know the severity of this injury or if Justice Hill will be back in time for the playoffs. Based on the video alone, Hill went down hard and nobody should be surprised if we don’t see the running back in action for a while. Derrick Henry will always be the life of this rushing attack, but the Ravens need another backup running back. If they’re not satisfied with the current options on the depth chart, the team could turn to former Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon as a last-second starter.
Ravens Could Sign Former Chief Jerick McKinnon After Justice Hill Injury
Despite playing in his age-30 season, four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry remains as dominant as ever. Starting in all 15 games, the former Tennessee Titan has recorded 1,636 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 278 carries, good for a ridiculous 5.9 yards per carry. He has already recorded the second-most rushing yards of his storied career and could win Offensive Player of the Year honors, which is simply unheard of for a running back on the wrong side of 30.
While he’s dominant between the tackles, nobody can handle 100% of the carries. With Justice Hill sidelined, Henry finished Week 15 with a staggering 24 rushing attempts. Outside of MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, no other player on the Ravens had more than two carries. This type of workload is unsustainable. Perhaps undrafted free agent Keaton Mitchell can step up, but it’s not a good sign that the now-healthy running back hasn’t played since returning from his injury.
Even if Henry can handle this workload, he doesn’t bring much as a receiver. Hill was the primary third-down back, recording 42 receptions for 383 yards and three touchdowns through the air. By comparison, Henry had just 15 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns on a considerably higher snap count. If head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t believe in the players on his roster, he could turn to free agent Jerick McKinnon.
Free Agent Help
Jerick McKinnon is not the player he once was, but the free agent could be the best option to fill in while Justice Hill recovers from his injury. A former undrafted free agent, McKinnon first made a name for himself with the Minnesota Vikings but spent the past few years in a specialized role with the Kansas City Chiefs. During his three years with the club, the veteran recorded 94 receptions for 811 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns on 123 targets. While Kansas City rarely ran him between the tackles, he did just enough for his presence to not be a complete tell.
McKinnon’s experience as a receiving back makes him the ideal replacement for Justice Hill. Like Hill, McKinnon can be a safe checkdown option on passing plays and is an adequate enough runner to step onto the field whenever Derrick Henry needs a breather. While he and Rasheen Ali won’t frighten opposing defenses, they can keep the ship afloat while Hill works his way back to health.
Main Photo: Chris Pedota – USA Today Sports
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