Did Browns deliver NFL blueprint to stopping Derrick Henry?

Adam Schultz

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Did Browns deliver NFL blueprint to stopping Derrick Henry? image

The Cleveland Browns might have lost 41-17 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, but in the process, they might have just done the whole league a monstrous favor.

Figuring out how to stop Derrick Henry from terrorizing teams on the ground.

After Henry's 169-yard, two-touchdown game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz made the decision to sell out to stop the run.

And it worked.

Henry posted just 23 rushing yards from 11 carries, his lowest total for over a year (Week 15, 2023, had nine rush yards). Now it is worth noting that Lamar Jackson threw for four passing touchdowns and 225 yards, but still, Cleveland made sure Henry didn't beat them.

And it wasn't just Henry, as Lamar only had 13 rushing yards, too. 

Has the blueprint been discovered? Maybe. Teams might look at what Cleveland did and try to emulate it, and if Lamar has a passing day as he did in Week 2, then teams might be fine to live with it.

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Browns made Ravens beat them one way

I wonder if head coach Kevin Stefanski is happy with how the defense played, despite conceding 41 points? They weren't beaten by what they knew, and in truth, it was a pick-your-poison decision.

They clearly felt better about maybe slowing down Henry than they did about stopping Lamar from airing it out. And the proof is in the pudding.

Maybe the Browns can live with a quarterback like Lamar beating them through the air if it means Henry isn't a factor.

Either way, the Browns might have just shown the NFL how to stop King Henry, because the job they did was superb, even if Lamar torched them in the passing game.

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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.