Payments brace for playoff check of stopping Ravens’ Derrick Henry after getting trampled in Week 4

Payments brace for playoff check of stopping Ravens’ Derrick Henry after getting trampled in Week 4

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Payments coach Sean McDermott joked that Buffalo may use 5 300-pound linebackers in assessing what it’d take to cease Baltimore’s Derrick Henry.

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Linebacker Terrel Bernard was a little bit extra life like Wednesday, saying it’s going to require all 11 defenders swarming the operating again. Even quarterback Josh Allen, at 6-foot-5 and 240 kilos, acknowledged feeling intimidated the few instances he has stood subsequent to the 6-2, 250-pound Henry.

“He’s completely huge,” Allen mentioned. “He’s as quick as anyone on the sphere and as soon as he will get going downhill, he’s simply robust to carry down due to his sheer dimension and velocity.”

By some means, stopping Henry is among the many challenges Buffalo faces Sunday night time when internet hosting the third-seeded Ravens and their league-leading offense in a divisional spherical playoff sport.

Not misplaced on the Payments is what occurred in Week 4, when Henry broke unfastened on an 87-yard landing run on the primary offensive snap within the Ravens’ 35-10 win at Baltimore. Henry completed with a season-high 199 yards dashing whereas additionally scoring on a 5-yard catch in an outing throughout which Buffalo surrendered a season-worst 271 yards dashing and 427 yards general.

“Run sport, cross sport, third down, display screen sport, purple zone. … We bought our butts kicked,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich mentioned.

Troublesome because it was re-watching the movie this week, Babich famous it might probably function motivation.

“Nobody likes dropping like we misplaced. I imply, we’re all opponents,” he mentioned. “Generally these scars assist you once you do have the prospect to play a group once more.”

Henry is having fun with a resurgence in his first season in Baltimore. At 31, he completed second within the NFL, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, and set franchise single-season information with 1,921 yards dashing and 16 touchdowns.

“He’s transferring quite a bit sooner than what he appears. That’s in all probability what actually messes up the corners and linebackers when he hits the sting,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey mentioned.

“He’s positively one in every of one. However I believe the visible and what’s really occurring doesn’t actually match up. It’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve an ideal angle,’ after which he will get round you,” he added. “He’s simply totally different. I do know the Payments can have their hand, uh, it’ll be robust.”

The excellent news for the Payments is that they’re more healthy coming into Sunday, with Bernard, linebacker Matt Milano and cornerback Taron Johnson set to play after the three starters have been sidelined in opposition to the Ravens.

One other optimistic working for Buffalo is having earlier success in opposition to Henry. In 5 conferences when he was with Tennessee, Henry topped 100 yards simply as soon as whereas combining for 359 yards dashing with seven touchdowns.

The Ravens, nevertheless, pose a multifaceted check for any protection, not to mention Buffalo. Stopping Henry is merely half the battle in opposition to Baltimore, which grew to become the NFL’s first to high 4,000 yards passing and three,000 dashing in a season, whereas ending with 7,224 whole yards — the third most in league historical past.

“They’re a one-two mixture. I don’t know if the NFL has ever seen that kind of mixture of energy, velocity, explosiveness,” McDermott mentioned. “That two-dimensional kind of weaponry, if you’ll, is hard on individuals.”

An underlying subplot in Buffalo revolves round ongoing questions of the protection’s inconsistencies, particularly in opposition to the run. Buffalo allowed 120-plus yards dashing 9 instances this 12 months.

The questions date past this season involving a protection permitting a mixed 500 yards dashing in Buffalo being eradicated in every of the previous three divisional playoff rounds.

The criticism has reached some extent the place defensive sort out DaQuan Jones is conscious of it, however now not cares what’s being mentioned.

“On the finish of the day, our finish purpose is to win a hoop. I’m not going to sit down right here and harp as a result of individuals are saying I don’t bought the stats or Ed Oliver doesn’t have the stats. OK? What would you like me to do?” Jones mentioned.

“We’re chasing one thing higher,” he added. “The subsequent sport proper now could be the Baltimore Ravens, and that’s all we’re focusing about.”

Jones spoke whereas sporting a Payments coloured sweatshirt with a three-word phrase that features a profanity printed on it, summing up the protection’s dismissive method. The shirt was designed by sort out Jordan Phillips, who mentioned the phrase was taken immediately from what somebody mentioned throughout a latest defensive assembly.

“Simply not likely acknowledging the surface noise,” Jones mentioned, “and simply having the mindset of simply go on the market and play our fashion of soccer and see what occurs.”

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