Last Saturday, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry literally ran over the Pittsburgh Steelers to set up a primetime matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday evening.
The Ravens were a 10-point favorite heading into the game, and the team’s explosive rushing attack did not disappoint. At the end of the first half, the score was 21-0 and many felt the game was essentially over.
The Steelers showed some life in the second half, scoring two touchdowns, but Henry’s 44-yard TD run snatched Pittsburgh’s comeback hopes, and the Ravens advanced by a score of 28-14.
The addition of Henry allowed Jackson to showcase his arm talent which many had doubted despite his two previous NFL MVP awards. This season, Lamar threw for 4,172 yards with 41 TDs and only 4 INTs. He also added 915 rushing yards and 4 TDs, stats which have him in serious contention for his third MVP.
Henry ran for 1,921 and 16 TDs, the former which was second best this season to the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley and the latter which was tied for first with the Bills’ James Cook and the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs.
So now, after serval years of inconsistent and injured running backs, Baltimore acquired a generational running back in Henry, who they hope will finally push them past Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
But before they can possibly face the Chiefs, who host the Texans Saturday night, they will have the travel to snowy Buffalo to face Josh Allen and the Bills.
Allen and Jackson are considered neck and neck for the 2024 MVP award, and this game might sway the vote for the victorious player.
Earlier this season, the Ravens crushed the Bills in Baltimore, 35-10. Allen threw for 180 yards and no TDs while rushing for only 21 yards. Jackson, on the other hand, threw for 156 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 54 yards and 1 TD.
Derrick Henry put on a show that day, rushing for 199 yards and 1 TD while Bills running back James Cook was held to only 39 yards.
That’s a day the Bills want to forget, and with the crazy Bills Mafia behind them on Sunday, Allen and company might be able to erase the stain of that game.
But Lamar, Henry and a rejuvenated Ravens team improved greatly in the second half of the season, so the Bills have their work cut out for them if they want to advance to the Conference Championship.
Yet this looks like the year for Jackson and the Ravens to finally get over the hump known as Patrick Mahomes and advance to Lamar’s first Super Bowl, something he promised Ravens’ fans when he was selected with the final pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
And the addition of Henry could be the biggest reason why they will accomplish that long-awaited feat.
