With the Ravens going down 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 while since a running back had a big game against the Jaguars’ defense.
The Jaguars have not allowed an opposing rusher to gain 75 or more yards in a game in the last 24 games. If the Jaguars don’t allow a 75-yard rusher 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 rusher to gain 75 yards.
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Henry leads the NFL with 158 rushing attempts this season, and he could catch the ball more than the 20 times per game he’s averaging so far this season. Undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano is making his first career start for the Ravens, so they’ll likely need to get a big game running the ball if they’re going to pull off the upset against the Jaguars.
Although Henry still carries the ball at age 32, his effectiveness has waned. He averaged 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.