Mike Tomlin couldn’t quite bring himself to say Derrick Henry’s name on Sunday night.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, now an NBC analyst, was on the broadcast for the Baltimore Ravens’ 30-24 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons and stuck to a different label when the conversation turned to Baltimore’s star back. Speaking ahead of the Sunday Night Football matchup, Tomlin leaned into the nickname “the big runner” instead of naming Henry outright.
"When you don’t have a guy the caliber of Lamar Jackson, as they say in 'The Godfather,' 'It’s time to go to the mattresses.' How do they go to the mattresses? They ride the big runner," Tomlin declared.
He kept going with that phrasing while pointing to the difference in Henry’s production this season compared with his first two years in Baltimore, tying it to the absence of Patrick Ricard.
"It's a little bit different this year," Tomlin said. "In the past, the big runner was always accompanied by Patrick Ricard, the 300-pound fullback.
We all know he now plays for the New York football Giants, and I'm feeling a little difference this year. The big runner's [averaging] 4.2 yards per carry.
Last year he was 5.2. The year before, he was 5.9.
So it's been a little bit tougher sledding without the 300-pound lead blocker."
NBC host Maria Taylor stepped in to clarify the reference for viewers.
"I just want to remind you guys, the big runner is Derrick Henry," Taylor said. "He still will not say his name because he sends a shiver down his spine."
"I cannot say it," Tomlin confirmed.
Tomlin later replied to a clip of the NBC segment on X, saying the nickname was meant as a sign of respect.
"So much respect for The Big Runner," Tomlin declared.
Henry answered with another strong night, rushing for 120 yards and scoring his eighth touchdown of the season in the Ravens’ overtime win. The Ravens now move on to a Week 6 meeting with the Cleveland Browns.
In Other News...
Ravens Found Something Important In Atlanta Without Lamar Jackson
The Ravens went to Atlanta without Lamar Jackson and still found a way to leave with a win, edging the Falcons 30-23 in overtime. Tyler Huntley stepped in at quarterback and kept Baltimore steady enough to survive a late push, with the team leaning on the kind of situational football that can travel well in December and beyond.
Baltimores defense had the final say after Atlanta clawed back into the game, and the victory gave the Ravens sole possession of first place in the AFC North. For a team trying to show it can stay on course when its star quarterback is unavailable, the bigger takeaway was not just that it won, but how it handled the pressure when the game started slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Had A Message After Ravens Silenced The Doubters
The Ravens walked out of Sunday night with a 30-23 overtime win over the Falcons, but the game carried extra edge because of the chatter that surrounded it all week. Derrick Henry made sure to note that plenty of the outside picks leaned Atlantas way, and Baltimore had to spend much of the night answering those doubts the hard way before the result finally flipped in its favor.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley helped fuel the late rally after Lamar Jackson was ruled out with an injury, giving Baltimore a path back into a game that looked like it might slip away. Henry did his part with 102 rushing yards and the two-point conversion that tied things late, and after the win he had a pointed message for the voices that had counted the Ravens out. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Win Still Exposed A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Ravens left Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 30-23 overtime win, but the kind of victory that still invites a long look at what went wrong along the way. Baltimore had enough answers late, yet Atlantas defense made sure it was not easy, getting four sacks and pressure on the quarterback while Jessie Bates III supplied the kind of impact play that can swing a game. Drake London and Kyle Pitts also gave the Falcons some needed production on offense, helping keep things tense into the extra period.
Still, the most worrying part for Baltimore was harder to ignore than the final result. The Ravens were able to lean on their ground game for much of the night, and Atlanta never consistently solved it even after putting together strong stretches on defense. For a team trying to stack wins and build momentum, the ability to finish was there, but so was the reminder that the run defense remains a real issue waiting to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]