John Harbaugh: Ravens didn’t sign Derrick Henry to ‘be the guy that gets the ball 30 times a game’
Kevin Patra, NFL.com
“We didn’t bring Derrick in here to be the guy that gets the ball 30 times a game,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s official transcript. “He’s done that before. That’s really not the plan. The plan is Derrick, Lamar, Mark (Andrews), Isaiah (Likely), Zay (Flowers), Bate (Rashod Bateman) and Nelly (Nelson Agholor). That’s kind of the plan in this offense going forward.”
“I think it’s going to be kind of every game is going to be interesting and different,” Harbaugh said. “I like the way the run game looked, for the most part, with just the running back run game. There were some plays that I’d like to see be blocked a little better, but other plays that were blocked really well, and then we rushed for 185 yards overall, and a lot of that is Lamar, but that’s the formula. The formula is all the guys together. It’s not just the one guy.”
The more interesting aspect of Thursday’s game regarding the Ravens’ backfield is the prominent role Justice Hill played as a third-down and pass-catching back. By default, Henry not being on the field for all three downs will lighten his load. The three second-half carries also were a surprise, as the 247-pound back usually does his best work against tired defenses in the fourth quarter.
Ravens Offensive Line Has Room to Grow, But Started Better Than You May Think
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com
Kansas City escaped with a 27-20 victory, but the outcome wasn’t decided until the final play. For those eager to judge the 2024 offensive line, Harbaugh stands ready to defend the unit.
“I’m not too worried about the offensive line, because I know how hard they work, and I know how talented they are,” Harbaugh said. “I watch all the other offensive lines in the National Football League, and I think if you applied some of the same standards to the other offensive lines out there, you’d be like, ‘Oh, boy, that’s a tough position to play against these guys.’
“Our offensive line is going to be really good this year. I believe that, and we’re working hard towards that. So, I’m not going to sit here and doubt those guys; I’m going to coach those guys, and those guys are going to get out there and play. I think by the end of the season, you’re going to feel really good about our offensive line.”
The Ravens offensive line may have more room for improvement in run blocking, where it ranked 22nd in win rate by ESPN and 21st by PFF. Derrick Henry rushed for just 46 yards on 13 carries in his debut.
After so much preparation for the Week 1 matchup against Kansas City, the Ravens must turn the page and get ready for Sunday’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Maxx Crosby had the Raiders’ only sack in their 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but he had 27 combined sacks in 2022-23 and is one of the league’s most relentless players. The Raiders also spent big money this offseason to add one of the NFL’s top defensive tackles in Christian Wilkins.
Grading all 32 first-round picks after Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season
Dalton Wasserman, PFF
PICK NO. 30: BALTIMORE RAVENS: CB NATE WIGGINS
Overall Rookie Grade: 76.0 (Rank: 2/12)
Principal Opponent: Rashee Rice
Week 1 Snaps: 17
Week 1 Grade: 76.0
Wiggins played a limited role in Baltimore’s season opener but acclimated himself nicely in coverage. He allowed just one reception, a screen to Rashee Rice, picking up a tackle assist on the play and holding it just a gain of just one yard. Wiggins was often left in single coverage matchups but never faltered, even when matched up with Rice, who was the Chiefs’ best receiving threat on the night.
Week 1 was a good start for Wiggins as he seeks more playing time.
NFL Power Rankings: The Cowboys Make Another September Statement
Diante Lee, The Athletic
0—1
Lamar Jackson in superhero mode is fun to watch but a bad sign for the Ravens.
Nothing better encapsulates the Lamar Jackson era in Baltimore than how the Ravens played in Thursday night’s opener in Kansas City. When plays broke down, Jackson had to use every bit of his superpowers to keep the game within reach, and any missed throws (particularly in the second half) became fodder for debate about whether he’s good enough to get the Ravens over the hump. But I don’t believe that’s fair to Jackson, and it was evident from his first dropback of the season that the right side of the offensive line was overmatched. Were it not for Jackson’s creativity, the Ravens could have been shut out in Kansas City.
That said, the Chiefs were a bad matchup for the Ravens, and I believe things will be just fine for Baltimore long term. New defensive coordinator Zach Orr hasn’t proved to be as inventive as predecessor Mike Macdonald, but Orr’s game plan was sound, aside from how it continually allowed Rashee Rice to work against Baltimore’s linebackers in pass coverage. If the defense is stable and Baltimore establishes a strong ground game to help balance out the offense, that will be good enough to win most games.
NFL Week 2 Power Rankings 2024: How all 32 teams stack up
Jamison Hensley, ESPN
Preseason ranking: 2
Best newcomer performance: RB Derrick Henry
There weren’t a lot of options because the newcomers didn’t contribute much for Baltimore. Henry showed promise early, but the Ravens went away from the run game in trying to play catch-up with QB Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. On the opening drive, Henry ran five times for 17 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown. He had eight carries for 29 yards the rest of the game. Henry could have more opportunities in Week 2 when he faces a Raiders defense that gave up 176 rushing yards to the Chargers in Week 1.