Ravens RB Derrick Henry Could Surpass Week 1's Heavy Workload Against The Saints

Derrick Henry probably has another 300 carries in him this season.

And I suspect he has another 25 in him Sunday.

Henry carried a heavy load in Week 1, rushing 24 times and scoring three times in a shellacking of the Colts, with 21 of those carries under center for 137 yards (6.5/rush!) and two scores. History just might repeat.

With the Saints able to score much more quickly than the version of the Colts Baltimore saw last week (QB Daniel Jones hobbled in his first game back from Achilles surgery and deep-threat Alec Pierce hobbled following ankle surgery), and the Ravens likely prizing controlling the clock, with issues at receiver, I see a lot Henry in the immediate future.

Watching a Saints rush defense without lineman Cam Jordan wilt last week (Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs ran 27 times under center against them last week for 138 yards and two touchdowns), there is a strong case to be made for making Henry the fulcrum of the offensive game plan – I formation til they can stop it.

The Ravens offensive line was terrible in pass protection last season and shaky last week, especially the interior. Getting under center and letting them push people around plays to their strengths, and for as stout as the Saints were against the run last season (second in the NFL only to Super Bowl champs Seattle in run D Expected Points Added), the Lions got old-school on them last week and ran the heck out of the ball from under-center formations.

Expect the same from the Ravens Sunday.

Of all the things that had the coaches excited about the offense last week, the ability to see their biggest linemen and their lightest receivers blocking with passion downfield was chief among them.

“Playing violent away from the football and being high-effort players,” rookie coordinator Declan Doyle said Wednesday about he wants the hallmarks of this offense to be. “And I think that showed up in the run game … It’s really what you hunt every week.”

Personnel Matters

The Ravens aspire to be a team that joins the modern NFL and plays in 11 personnel (three receivers) 60% of the time in 2026 (they were last at 40% from 2019-2025). But each game presents different challenges, and with Zay Flowers iffy with a hamstring injury and Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist) out at least a month, and Devontez Walker (groin) an injury risk and fourth-round pick Elijah Sarratt a healthy scratch Week 1 for valid reasons, it’s easy to suspect rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle tries to adopt a road-grading approach.

Veteran Chris Moore is on the active roster and blocking is his thing. The Ravens rolled up 500 yards last week and starting receiver Rashod Bateman had one target and no catches (but helped spring Henry for a 32-yard TD gallop) and Lane, a starter, had one catch for 11 yards before he got hurt. Are you following me here?

The “Joker” in this offense, powerful blocking tight end Durham Smythe, was on the field for 40 snaps Sunday in a multitude of roles, and will likely do the same Sunday (I have a feeling he gets an endzone target if you are into ATD markets). The Ravens ran seven plays with an extra offensive lineman on the field Week 1, third-most in the NFL (and Smythe was on the field for all those reps, too, in a “super-jumbo” look).

So, um, call me crazy, but I don’t think they are going to reach and stretch to get into 11 personnel as much as possible against the Saints.

“The availability of the players shapes how you game plan things,” Doyle explained, “and that is what being a good play caller and a good play designer is - being able to adjust … You’ve got to be flexible, because in this league it just is what it is - you can have a good week and then get humbled really fast.”

The Ravens executed five run plays – and seven plays overall – with an extra lineman on the field Sunday, a significant statement of intent. The Lions ran seven run plays with the extra lineman against the Saints (second-most in the NFL) and they used that approach four times in short yardage situations: twice Gibbs scored a one-yard TD and the other two times he picked up rushing first downs. Detroit led the NFL with eight snaps total Week 1 with an extra lineman on the field.

Saints better buckle up. Might see even more of that heavy stuff Sunday, with a much heavier running back, and it might yield similar results.

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