Coming into Saturday’s wild-card round playoff game between the Ravens and the Steelers, Derrick Henry was fully aware that the atmosphere would be different than it had in the two meetings the teams had in the regular season. Pittsburgh and Baltimore split those games, but with a trip to the divisional round on the line, that did not much matter.
As Henry, playing in his first full season outside of the Titans, the team that drafted him, said this week:
“That’s what you expect from yourself and what everybody expects out of each other. Just be locked in more than you were before, and just pay more attention to the details, and just go out there and play the best game you can but not try to get overwhelmed or make it more than what it is.”
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22).
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
From the get-go in the Ravens’ 28-14 Round 1 win, that’s exactly what they did. Baltimore established itself early in the game with a 21-0 lead by halftime, and though the Steelers played better in the third quarter, the Ravens–never looking overwhelmed–simply ground down the Steelers.
When it was over, Henry went ot social media to post a single, all-caps word in honor of his new team and its fans.
“FLOCCCKKKKKK!” he wrote, followed by four emojis.
Henry showed himself to be the missing piece throughout the season for the Ravens, who have struggled with running-back production over the years. But Henry was dominant on Saturday, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns on the game.
The Ravens will be ready for a stiffer challenge next week, as they’re likely to face the No. 2 seeded Bills, providing Buffalo can knock off Denver.
