OWINGS MILLS — Ravens running back Derrick Henry is looking forward to returning to his native state of Florida for the Monday night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At age 30, Henry has been a dominant rusher and leads the NFL with 704 yards. He could have room to run against the Buccaneers’ run defense, which allows 113.3 yards per game —ranked 13th in the NFL.
“We’re going to Tampa; it’s a very good team – a very good team – a very good defense, who plays hard, who flies to the ball,” Henry said. “I think they’re solid all around – very solid. [They’re] probably one of the best defenses we’ve faced this year. So, it’s going to be a good one [and] a tough matchup.”
After losing the first two games of the season, the Ravens have won four in a row. Henry has played a huge role in that winning streak, averaging 143.5 yards over that stretch.
One of the keys is that Henry has also helped the Ravens close out games in the fourth quarter, where they have struggled over the past couple of seasons. Last week against the Washington Commanders, Henry had a 27-yard run with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter to help secure a 30-23 victory.
The Ravens have not lost a game when Henry runs for 90 or more yards.
Tampa Bay nose tackle Vita Vea was dealing with a hamstring injury over the past week, but he should be able to play Monday night. Vea is the Buccaneers’ best run-stopper and he has also been successful in pressuring opposing quarterbacks with three sacks in six games.
If Tampa Bay can contain Henry, the Buccaneers will have a solid shot at winning the game.
“He’s very fast, he’s very strong, he’s very tough, and he’s very smart,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said about Henry. “He doesn’t get as much credit for finding the holes … When he gets through them, you’re not going to catch him. He’s a heck of a football player.”
