Derrick Henry sets the tone with “big play” as Ravens defeat Bills

BALTIMORE – Not only is Derrick Henry the NFL's current leading rusher, he can apparently predict the future.

Henry's 87-yard touchdown on the first play of the Baltimore Ravens' 35-10 loss to the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills was all the more remarkable considering the four-time Pro Bowl running back believes he decided his own throw.

“It was indescribable,” Henry told the Ravens’ website on the field after the game. “I did an interview on Friday where I talked about starting the game right with a big play and that’s what’s happening. Sometimes you bring things into life.”

Henry's powerful running and breakaway speed helped the Ravens even their record to 2-2 and made their offense even more dangerous. Unlike the previous six seasons in which quarterback Lamar Jackson played primarily for Baltimore, the Ravens have brought together a big-play runner and the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player in Henry.

On Sunday, Henry finished the game with 199 yards rushing and 10 yards receiving while scoring two touchdowns. It was his eighth career game with 200 scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson (10) in NFL history.

This season, Henry leads the NFL with 480 rushing yards, the most of any player in four games since 2021 – when Henry ran for 510 yards in the first four games.

“He’s one of one, that’s what I say,” Ravens Pro Bowl defensive lineman Patrick Ricard said. “And that’s why he was just one of the best defenders in this league. I’m just so happy to have him here and block for him.”

Henry set the tone as he ran through a huge hole on the right side of the line and ran untouched 87 yards to the end zone. According to ESPN Research, it was the longest rushing touchdown by a player in his team's first offensive game since 2013, when Terrelle Pryor scored a 93-yard touchdown in the Raiders' opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Henry demonstrated his speed at age 30, reaching a top speed of 21.29 miles per hour. That was the fourth-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season and marked Henry's eighth-fastest speed since 2018.

“By the time he gets to the secondary, he’s pretty much gone,” Jackson said. “It's hard to catch up with him because he's fast. He's not just a strong defender. He’s also quick, and he showed that on offense on his first possession.”

The only disappointment was that Henry failed to record his sixth 200-yard rushing game of his career. The Ravens handed the ball off to Henry twice on their final drive, but he fell one yard short.

“We’ll get it for him,” Ricard said. “But it’s all good.”

After their first 0-2 start in nine years, the Ravens quickly recovered, winning two straight games and moving within one game of the Steelers (3-1) for first place in the AFC North. Baltimore also ended the Bills' 43-game unbeaten streak by at least 10 points, which was the longest active streak in the NFL.

However, the Ravens downplayed their dominance over the Bills.

“We didn’t win a Super Bowl today,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “It's only Week 4 and we're trying to accomplish what we need to accomplish – (which) we didn't accomplish last year – so we've got a long way to go, but I think we're on a good track Away.”

It was the Ravens' first complete win of the season. On offense, Baltimore scored touchdowns on its first three drives. On defense, the Ravens held Bills quarterback Josh Allen from scoring any rushing or passing touchdowns, the first time since 2021 that he was shut out in that manner.

“We didn’t win a Super Bowl today. It's only Week 4 and we're trying to achieve what we need to achieve – (which) we didn't achieve last year – so we've got a long way to go. “The road is ahead of us, but I think we're on one good way.”

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton

“They made more plays than us and that was immediately clear. They had more urgency than we did,” Allen said. “Sometimes you walk into a building and they were a buzz saw tonight, they kicked our butts. That’s what matters.”

In their last two games, the Ravens have struggled late. Baltimore lost 26-23 to the Raiders in Week 2 after failing to maintain a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Then in Week 3, the Ravens beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-25 after leading by 22 points in the fourth quarter.

On Sunday night, the Ravens finished the game so convincingly that Allen was eliminated with 7:17 left.

“Now we know we’re just getting better,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We know what is possible, we know what we are capable of, but we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. And we've only played four games and have 13 regular seasons left.” “And where the season goes will depend on what we do in the next 13 games.”