Baltimore Ravens Running Back Derrick Henry With a Masterful First Half
Saturday night games in late December can get weird. When you looked at the marquee for the Ravens vs. Packers matchup and saw Tyler Huntley facing off against Malik Willis, you probably expected a sloppy, low-scoring affair. You might have even thought about changing the channel.
But then Derrick Henry decided to remind the entire football world that the King still sits on his throne.
In a performance that felt like a throwback to his prime, Henry didn’t just play football; he dismantled the Green Bay defense with the kind of violent efficiency that makes defensive coordinators wake up in a cold sweat. By the time the halftime whistle blew, Baltimore was up 27-14, and Henry had turned Lambeau Field into his own personal playground.
Henry Cracks the All-Time Top 10
We talk a lot about the “running back cliff” in the NFL. Conventional wisdom says that once a back hits 30, the wheels fall off. Well, someone forgot to send that memo to Baltimore’s No. 22.
Entering the game, Henry needed just 63 yards to catch Dallas Cowboys legend Tony Dorsett on the all-time rushing list. He didn’t just creep past the mark; he kicked the door down. With a 106-yard first-half explosion, Henry officially surpassed Dorsett (12,739 yards) to claim the 10th spot in NFL history.
But he wasn’t done rewriting the record books. With three trips to the end zone in the first two quarters alone, Henry moved past Adrian Peterson for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns in league history. Think about the names he is rubbing elbows with now: Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders. We are watching a living Hall of Famer at work, folks.
A One-Man Wrecking Crew
The stat line looks like something out of a video game on rookie mode: 21 carries, 106 yards, and 3 touchdowns. In one half.
Green Bay simply had no answer. It didn’t matter that the Ravens were missing Lamar Jackson. Everyone in the stadium knew the ball was going to Henry, and the Packers still couldn’t stop him. Watching him rumble for scores of 3 yards, 1 yard, and another 3 yards was a lesson in physics: mass times acceleration equals a bad time for linebackers.
At 31 years old, Henry is playing with a level of physicality that is practically extinct in the modern game. While the rest of the league zigs toward speed and finesse, Henry zags toward pure, unadulterated power. He finished the half with a touchdown with just 10 seconds left on the clock, essentially putting the game in a stranglehold before heading to the locker room.
What’s Next For the King?
With the milestone secured and the lead established, the narrative shifts from “can he do it?” to “how high can he climb?” Henry is now breathing down the neck of Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis on the all-time yardage list.
If Saturday night proved anything, it’s that betting against Henry is a fool’s errand. The Ravens might be limping toward the finish line of the season with backup quarterbacks and injuries, but as long as Henry is in the backfield, they have a puncher’s chance against anyone.
