With the number of injuries that the Baltimore Ravens have sustained over the last two weeks, it will be hard for the Houston Texans to recognize some of the players on the field.
Yet, there is one individual who will be easily recognizable to Houston that they are very familiar with from his playing days in the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans, and that is Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who has averaged 105.2 yards per game (1,578 total) and 13 touchdowns throughout his career against the Texans.
“It’s tough,” said Texans linebacker Henry To’o To’o about stopping Henry. “That is a grown man. He is big, fast, and strong. I think the biggest thing for us is to not let him get his motor going. Once he gets that motor going and he is on one path, it is hard to stop him.
“If we can penetrate (the line of scrimmage) and make him stop his feet, then we will be able to control him. But he is one strong human being. He is tough to get down.”
The game plan that Houston has to stop one of the premier running backs in the league is easier said than executed.
Especially with Henry having a point to prove after having subpar back-to-back performances with a combined 20 carries for 92 yards against the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
With quarterback Lamar Jackson out for Sunday’s game, the offense will be centered around getting him as many touches as possible, and that could be a problem for the Texans’ defense in the fourth quarter.
“It is going to be up to us to swarm him and get around him,” said Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins exclusively to Big Sarge Media. “We have to get as many hats to the ball as possible. He presents a challenge, but we kind of understand what we need to do. We just have to go out and execute.
“It is definitely easier said than done. You can do it for three quarters and then the next thing you know he is breaking off a long one (run) in the fourth quarter to try and seal the game or put his team in position to score points. It will be a sixty-minute effort. If you relax for one second, that is that one second he is breaking a tackle or stiff arming a guy and the next thing you know he is outrunning everybody.”