Ravens Gave Odd Explanation For Derrick Henry Usage Vs. Patriots

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry was tremendous on Sunday.

Henry finished with 128 rushing yards on 18 carries (7.1 yards per carry) during a loss to the New England Patriots, with two of them ending in the end zone and the second giving his club a two-score lead two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Henry didn’t touch the ball again…

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was asked about that decision following the game, and gave a pretty poor excuse that pointed toward a predetermined running back rotation.

“(Henry) was coming back in the game,” Harbaugh said. “(Keaton Mitchell) started the game. Derrick and Keaton had talked about that. Keaton had started the other drive and then Derrick came in and finished it off, so it was part of that rotation. He was going back in the game and then we got stopped.

“Looking back, would I rather have Derrick starting the drive? Yeah. But Derrick was kind of ready for Keaton to start that drive and he was planning on coming in next. So they were working that rotation. You look back on it and I think it’s pretty easy to say, ‘Hey, he should have been in there or shouldn’t have been in there.’ But we’re rotating those guys throughout the game as two backs. But yeah, game-winning drive, do I want Derrick Henry on the field? Sure, I do want him on the field.”

Mitchell finished with nine carries, which went for a total of 13 yards (1.4 yards per carry) and included zero first-down conversions…

Henry gave a diplomatic answer when asked about the rotation.

“We’ve been doing a rotation for I don’t know how many weeks. Keaton has been doing a great job in the run game, and we are both in there doing the best we can,” Henry said. “We have a lot of good players, so everybody has to get their touches and get opportunities, and Keaton is deserving of it.”

The Ravens obviously wish things went differently, but don’t have anyone to blame but themselves.