In a game that had all the makings of a late-season heavyweight bout, the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots went toe-to-toe under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. The Patriots ultimately walked away with a 28-24 win - a victory that not only clinched their playoff spot but also left Ravens fans scratching their heads, particularly about one glaring question: Where was Derrick Henry when the game was on the line?
Let’s set the stage. Baltimore entered the second half without Lamar Jackson, who exited with a back injury.
That immediately shifted the offensive spotlight onto Derrick Henry, the kind of back who’s built for these gritty, grind-it-out moments. And for most of the night, Henry delivered exactly what you’d expect from a future Hall of Famer: 18 carries, 128 yards, and two touchdowns.
He was, without question, the engine of the Ravens’ offense.
But when Baltimore took the field with nine minutes left, nursing a three-point lead, Henry wasn’t on the field. And when they got the ball back with two minutes to play - now trailing by four and needing a touchdown - Henry was still on the sideline.
Naturally, that raised some eyebrows.
**Was Henry benched? Not exactly.
** Head coach John Harbaugh addressed the decision after the game, explaining that the absence was due to the team’s running back rotation. “I don’t like the drive at all,” Harbaugh admitted.
“Looking back, would I rather have had Derrick starting the drive? Yes.
But Derrick was kind of ready for Keaton [Mitchell] to start that drive. And then he was planning on coming in next.
So, they were working that rotation.”
Translation: it was a planned substitution, but one that, in hindsight, didn’t play out the way Harbaugh would’ve liked.
Henry, for his part, didn’t express frustration. “We’ve been doing a rotation for I don’t know how many weeks,” he said postgame.
“Keaton has been doing a great job in the run game, and we are both in there doing the best we can. We have a lot of good players, so everybody has to get their touches and get opportunities, and Keaton is deserving of it.”
That’s a team-first answer from a veteran who’s been around long enough to know how to handle the postgame mic. But even with the right words, the numbers tell a story that’s hard to ignore.
Henry played just 43.6% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps - despite being the most effective player on the field. Mitchell logged 34.5%, and third-stringer Rasheen Ali chipped in with 21.8%.
That kind of split might make sense in a game where Henry’s struggling or the offense is clicking through the air. But when your quarterback is out, and your lead back is averaging over seven yards per carry?
That’s when you ride the hot hand.
Let’s rewind to Henry’s second touchdown, a bruising run that gave Baltimore a 24-13 lead. It was vintage Derrick Henry - patient vision, downhill power, and a finishing burst that left defenders grasping at air.
That score capped off a drive that felt like a turning point. But the Ravens couldn’t sustain it, and when the moment came to ice the game or mount a final comeback, the big man wasn’t on the field.
On the Ravens’ second-to-last possession, the offense managed just 13 yards on six plays before punting. That drive - the one with a slim lead and clock to burn - was arguably the most critical of the night. And Henry, fresh off a 30-yard, drive-capping touchdown earlier, was nowhere to be found.
By the time the Ravens got the ball back, they were down four and facing a ticking clock. In that context, Henry’s absence made a little more sense - he hasn’t been featured much as a pass-catcher. But the decision to keep him sidelined during the previous drive, when the game was still in Baltimore’s hands, loomed large.
Now, the Ravens find themselves in a precarious spot. A Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers or a Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Cleveland Browns could end their playoff hopes. And if that happens, this game - and the decision to rotate out their most dominant offensive weapon - will be remembered as a turning point.
In a league where every snap matters, Sunday night was a reminder that sometimes, sticking too rigidly to a plan can cost you the game. Derrick Henry gave the Ravens everything they needed to win. They just didn’t give him the ball when it mattered most.