Even without Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens had a ton of success offensively against the Green Bay Packers last week. They scored 41 points and ran for over 300 yards. Derrick Henry himself had potentially the best game of his career with over 200 yards and four touchdowns. Tyler Huntley wasn’t asked to do a lot, but he did exactly what was needed. According to Former NFL defensive back Devin McCourty, the Ravens’ game plan against the Steelers will focus on the run, no matter who is at quarterback.
“I think the game plan should be similar, whether he [Jackson] plays or he doesn’t play,” McCourty said Tuesday on NBC’s Pro Football Talk. “I just think it all should be based around Derrick Henry and the run game, no matter what.”
The Steelers have produced a nice stretch of play defending against the run. But for the better part of the last two seasons, it has been quite the struggle. Some of their worst moments have come against Henry. In the Wild Card round last year, he led a rushing attack that put up 299 yards on the Steelers. And just a couple of weeks ago, Baltimore ran for over 200 yards again in a loss to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have made some strides recently, and Mike Tomlin is confident his unit will be better prepared than it was last year. To its credit, it is coming off three solid performances against Miami, Detroit, and Cleveland. The former two had very talented rushing attacks rolling into those matchups before the Steelers silenced them.
But with how Derrick Henry is playing, it’s hard for anybody to stop him. McCourty thinks the offense should completely revolve around him, to the point of giving him 40 touches.
“I think overall, I think this is a 40-touch game for Derrick Henry. If I [were] the coach, I would rather go down handing Derrick Henry the ball, not knowing exactly how healthy we’re gonna have Lamar,” McCourty said. “I would rather come in and say, hey guys, no matter what, we’re handing him the ball.”
Although the Ravens are talented, the Steelers have some valid reasons for believing. One is Derrick Harmon, who has been impressive against the run throughout his rookie year. They also have Cam Heyward on the interior, still playing at a high level despite his age. And Mike Tomlin even has some optimism that T.J. Watt could return this week.
This game will be the ultimate barometer. It will decide who makes the playoffs, but it’s also a great test for the Steelers’ run defense. The front office spent a lot of assets to build that component last offseason. Pittsburgh will have many attempts to prove those decisions were correct when they face Derrick Henry and the Ravens on Sunday night.