After three weeks, the Baltimore Ravens are 1-2. They have lost both of their games against elite opponents and have stumbled upon a concerning ball security issue with star running back Derrick Henry.
A respite isn't near. After losing to Detroit at home, the Ravens hit the road for a date with the defending AFC champion Chiefs in Kansas City. There's little time for Henry to correct his fumbling problem before they're back on the field in another big game.
"I'm still pissed, mad at myself," Henry said on Wednesday, via the team's official site. "I don't try to harp on it too much. At the same time, it's a problem that's got to be fixed. I'm working on it as hard as I can to get this issue resolved. It's tough right now because it's been consecutive weeks -- back to back to back, which is crazy.
"Nobody can fix it but yourself. I accept it like a man. Everything that comes with it, I accept. It's my responsibility to take care of the ball for this organization. It's testing my faith right now. I've just got to keep believing and keep working. I feel like I let my teammates down, which I don't want to do."
Long known as a model of consistency, Henry remains a rugged, explosive and downright frightening back whose previous biggest concern was overcoming defensive boxes loaded solely to stop him. This recent development, however, has given the Ravens reason to go away from him in key moments.
In Monday night's loss, Henry had only received three second half carries and seemed to have faded from Baltimore's offensive game plan just before they decided to turn back to him in the fourth quarter. On his next attempt, Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson punched the ball out from behind Henry for his third fumble in just three weeks, giving the ball right back to Detroit.
Henry was visibly distraught on the sideline, an understandable reaction for a running back with a history of dependability. Over 683 touches (from Week 18 of the 2022 season through the end of the 2024 campaign), Henry fumbled just three times.
He's given away possession as many times on a mere 43 touches this season.
The Ravens haven't lost confidence in Henry, at least not publicly. Coach John Harbaugh backed his runner Wednesday, a move that is wise when considering how valuable Henry is to Baltimore's offensive ambitions.
"He said he's his own worst critic, I like to say he's his own best critic," Harbaugh said. "He's very, very accountable. When somebody cares so much about what they're doing and they're so accomplished, and so talented and so good and works so hard -- as a coach you just can't worry about that. I'm not worried about Derrick Henry at all."
There's no value in tearing down a star from behind a microphone, a truth Harbaugh knows quite well. Baltimore didn't lose solely because of Henry's fumble, either; they also allowed Detroit to sack Lamar Jackson seven times in the loss and surrendered a whopping 224 rushing yards to the Lions.
The goal remains the same for Baltimore moving forward: Win the AFC North and earn the highest playoff seed possible. They'll need Henry at his best to accomplish that.
