Ravens OC Determined to Avoid Past Mistakes

In a season full of low points for the Baltimore Ravens, Week 16's 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots seemed like rock bottom.

There'd been other junctions to forget, with their choke of a season debut to the Buffalo Bills, the 1-5 record they slumped out to shortly thereafter and their Thanksgiving Day smushing at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals each sticking out as particularly-painful recent memories for fans, but that Patriots defeat felt like a dagger.

The then-7-8 Ravens found themselves two games back of the division lead with two games left, now requiring a series of events out of their own hands to remain alive before lining up for one more chance at advancing in the regular season finale.

To make matters more frustrating, they couldn't even be proud of the brand of football they'd offered. After proving himself a near-impossible tackle for New England defenders, Derrick Henry had to watch Zay Flowers' costly fumble from the sidelines.

Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Zay Flowers — Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) runs for a touchdown against New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) during the second half of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

After a week of Baltimore's coaching staff continually passing the buck to one another for the baffling rotational decision, they went all-out in their Henry deployment in the following week's decisive win. Directly after his 216-yard, four-touchdown day, offensive coordinator Todd Monken will be sure to avoid association with another tactical error of the sort.

Recounting Henry's heavy 36-possession workload, Monken recalled that "there were a couple of those where he was tapping out, and I said 'No, no. Get him back in there. I've been through that. Get his ass back in there.'"

Ravens OC Todd Monken says he made the call for Derrick Henry's heavy usage in the team's win vs. Green Bay, pushing him to return to the field even when he was tapping out, at points:

"No, no. Get him back in there. I've been through that. Get his ass back in there." pic.twitter.com/mNlweaYiFb
— AJ Gersh (@AJGershTV) January 1, 2026

Acknowledging the Obvious

Monken went on to provide his reasons for riding Henry, the same scouting report that's resulted in the fans begging for his usage as loudly as they have. He's about as imposing a rushing presence as there is in the game, a massive speedster who only seems to get stronger after contact.

Yet for the majority of this ongoing Ravens season, his underuse has persisted as a common story. Whenever he was rolling, there was the veteran Justice Hill or prospects like Keaton Mitchell or Rasheen Ali to soak up snaps that could be his.

He's responded well to Baltimore's long-awaited realization to what makes him special in recent weeks, now having rattled off four consecutive games of at least 90 yards per contest. That includes his outings against the Bengals and Patriots, a pair of weekends that combined for just 29 carries.

Baltimore Ravens Running Back Derrick Henry — Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs off of the field after a game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Ravens won the game, 41-24. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ravens couldn't have made the epiphany at a later time, now readying up for a win-or-go-home game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the team with which he got that aforementioned four-week streak started. And with the right to advance to the playoffs on the line, they'll be sure to lean on the back who's proven as tough a tackle as anyone in the league over the last month.

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