With the Ravens down to their third-string quarterback on Thursday night against the Jaguars, Baltimore will rely heavily on running back Derrick Henry. Unfortunately for the Ravens, it’s been a long time since a running back has had a big game against the Jaguars’ defense.
The Jaguars haven’t allowed an opposing runner to gain 75 or more yards in a game in the last 24 games. If the Jaguars don’t allow a 75-yard runner against the Ravens on Thursday night, they will become just the third team in the Super Bowl era to go 25 straight games without allowing an opposing runner to gain 75 yards.
Henry is leading the NFL with 158 rushing attempts this season, and he may very well get the ball even more than 20 times per game he’s averaging so far this season. Undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano is making the first start of his career for the Ravens, so they’re likely to need to get a big game running the ball if they’re going to pull off the upset over the Jaguars.
Although Henry is still carrying the ball a lot at the age of 32, his effectiveness has waned. He’s averaging a career-low 4.0 yards per carry. It won’t be easy to have a breakout game against the Jaguars, but the Ravens need him to do it.
