OWINGS MILLS — Opponents know the Ravens like to run the ball.
They stack the box, focus on containing personnel, and try to give Baltimore different looks, but not much has worked.
In Sunday’s 30-23 victory over Washington, the Ravens rushed for 176 yards and were 6-for-10 on third down, which wore down the Commanders’ defense. Derrick Henry led the way with 132 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns.
“We came in here humble,” Henry said. “We’re being humble. [We’re] taking it one week at a time and approaching every week of focusing on being 1-0, keep pushing each other, keep working hard and let it translate to the game. It’s a humble approach for sure.”
Baltimore has rushed for at least 100 yards in 39 consecutive games, surpassing the 1935-39 Detroit Lions (38 games) for the third-longest such streak by a team in NFL history.
Only the 2018-21 Ravens (43 consecutive games) and 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers (43) have longer streaks. The 49ers own the NFL’s next-longest such active streak, producing 100 or more rushing yards in 16 straight games.
The Ravens lead the league with 1,232 rushing yards and became the fifth team since 1980 with at least 1,200 rushing yards through its first six games of a season, joining the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (1,333), 1984 Chicago Bears (1,330), 1980 Detroit Lions (1,299) and 2019 Ravens (1,230).
During the John Harbaugh era since 2008, Baltimore has rushed for at least 100 rushing yards in a league-high 189 games. The Ravens’ 134 games with at least 125 rushing yards and 95 with at least 150 rushing yards is also the most in the NFL
Baltimore is 73-22 when rushing for at least 150 yards.
The Ravens have won four straight games and are tied for first in the AFC North. When Baltimore has needed a run to put teams away late in games, quarterback Lamar Jackson gives the ball to Henry.
“I think whenever you have a back like Derrick Henry, that’s the goal,” center Tyler Linderbaum said. “He’s a tough guy to bring down, and he’s going to wear on people. It’s our job to communicate right [and] block the right people. He’s a good enough back to make one or two guys miss, as well. I think that’s an offensive lineman’s dream – is just wearing them down.
“[You could] feel it in the third, and then, at the fourth quarter, when it’s time for us to run the ball and get a first down, that’s how we need to finish games. That’s what good teams do, and I’m glad we did that.”
