Long live the king? Brutal Derrick Henry Ravens stat key to slow start

Adam Schultz

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Long live the king? Brutal Derrick Henry Ravens stat key to slow start image

The Baltimore Ravens have been lauded for their run game ever since Lamar Jackson stepped foot on the field, and when the team acquired Derrick Henry, that only increased.

After posting 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, King Henry proved he is still "that" guy, but to begin the 2025 season, things have gone a little sour.

Yes, his 169-yard game in Week 1 was superb, but his crucial fumble in the fourth quarter allowed Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to seize momentum, and they ultimately won the game.

Then, Henry was stuffed for just 23 yards against the Cleveland Browns and had another fumble, which brings us to Week 3, and again, Henry didn't have it all his way, posting just 50 rushing yards and yet another crucial fourth-quarter fumble that the Lions scored a field goal from to go up 31-24.

And for ESPN's Jamison Hensley, he's delivered quite the stat on King Henry.

"Derrick Henry's ball security cost the Ravens again," Hensley wrote. "He fumbled midway through the fourth quarter with Baltimore trailing 28-24. Henry has lost the ball in the fourth quarter in both of Baltimore's losses this season. This isn't like Henry, who had lost only two rushing fumbles in the fourth quarter or overtime in his previous nine seasons."

MORE: Ravens take huge tumble in latest power rankings after Lions beatdown

Does Henry have a fumbling issue?

Three fumbles in three games would suggest so, and when you factor in that Henry only had a combined three fumbles in the last two seasons prior to 2025, yeah, there might be a thread here.

Granted, his production has also fallen slightly, with just 73 yards in the last two games, but he has also scored two rushing touchdowns; those fumbles, however, were costly.

Now comes the biggest test of his mentality - the Kansas City Chiefs.

You can bet that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will be instructing his defense to punch and claw at the ball when Baltimore comes to town in Week 4, because if there is a weakness to exploit, it might just be Henry.

And that is an odd thing to say, given how dominant he's been over the years.

But maybe that dominance is starting to fade.

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Adam Schultz

Adam Schultz is a freelance writer at The Sporting News. An Australian journalist with years of experience covering the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL, Adam has interviewed several high-profile athletes in Australia for various sites and brings a unique view on the NFL.