Derrick Henry has become the closer the Ravens needed after early season concerns over holding leads

BALTIMORE (AP) — Derrick Henry has been a perfect fit for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens’ offense, and that goes beyond his nine touchdowns, the most among NFL running backs.

Henry has become the closer they’ve needed after blowing one lead early in the season and almost doing it again the following week. The 30-year-old workhorse ran eight times for 56 yards down the stretch Sunday against Washington to salt away a 30-23 victory, Baltimore’s fourth win in a row, and he has 34 carries for 184 yards in the fourth quarter this season.

“I definitely want to be able to close the game so we can win and everybody’s happy and everybody’s high-fiving in the locker room,” Henry said. “You’ve got to take pride in that — to be able to finish games and have the ball last.”

Henry getting the ball early, late and often is a positive development for the Ravens, who blew a lead to lose to Las Vegas in Week 2 and almost did the same thing in their next game at Dallas. Those concerns are muted because of how sure-handed Henry is — and he even has a handful of catches this season to go with his league-leading 704 yards rushing.

“He just needs a lane, and he’s going to do the rest,” said Jackson, who leads all quarterbacks with 403 yards on the ground. “Every time there’s a little crease, he always just goes full force.”

Henry has had the most rushing attempts in football in four of the past five seasons and is on pace to do so again after 119 through six games.

“Derrick Henry, you’ve got to feed him the ball,” receiver Zay Flowers said. “No matter who you got at receiver, no matter who you got at tight end, you’ve got to get that man the ball.”

What’s working

What Jackson calls Baltimore’s “pick your poison” offense racked up 484 yards against the Commanders and did so with a balanced attack of 176 rushing and 323 passing.

“We’re so versatile,” said tight end Mark Andrews, who on Sunday made his first touchdown catch of the season. “Guys are going to get their touches and get the ball and good things will happen.”

What needs help

Struggles defending against the pass continue, as another good quarterback had an impressive day, with Washington rookie Jayden Daniels throwing for 269 yards and two TDs. It’s not quite as bad as Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow lighting up the Ravens for nearly 400 yards, but coverage remains an issue.

“There are definitely some plays that we would all want back, including myself,” linebacker Roquan Smiths said. “But that’s why you’re in the lab, and you try to get better, day in and day out.”

Stock up

Flowers caught nine passes for 132 yards — all in the first half — with Jackson exploiting the Commanders’ emphasis on stopping the run and playing man-to-man defense. Coach John Harbaugh called him “exactly the weapon we absolutely knew was and would be and has been.”

“Those plays had to be made in the pass game, and Zay made them,” Harbaugh said. “That was the difference, probably, in the game.”

Stock down

Center Tyler Linderbaum botched a snap and was charged with a fumble as a result. Jackson recovered it, Justin Tucker made a field goal on the next play and everything turned out fine, but the 24-year-old was still kicking himself about it afterward.

“That’s the first time a ball has slipped out of my hand,” Linderbaum said. “Obviously, that can’t happen, but I just got to learn from it.”

Injuries

Cornerback Arthur Maulet could be nearing a return from knee and hamstring injuries after resuming practice earlier this month. Harbaugh told reporters Monday the team would make a decision on activating Maulet before the 21-day window is up.

Key number

12 — The number of more minutes the Ravens had the ball than the Commanders. Baltimore ranks second in time of possession, trailing only San Francisco.

Next steps

It doesn’t get easier from here, with a visit to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on tap next Monday night. The Ravens opened as 3 1/2-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook ahead of a matchup between two teams that are 4-2 and can pile up the points.

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