Derrick Henry’s power and performance on the field can be described as thunderous, yet his impact on the Ravens’ offense was nothing short of electrifying.
In his first playoff game with Baltimore, Henry showcased his usual dominance, carrying the ball 26 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Ravens to a commanding 28-14 wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The score barely captured the true extent of the Ravens’ control.
Lamar Jackson was in awe of Henry’s run, comparing it to a scene from the animated movie Cars. “It looked like a movie clip,” Jackson said. “You know when Lightning McQueen is just zooming past everything? That’s what Derrick looked like—he was flying past everyone. It was like something out of a movie. Honestly, I’d rather be watching it from the sidelines than being on the field against him.”
Jackson was likely referring to one of Henry’s most spectacular moments of the game: a 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, where he dashed past a group of Steelers defenders, reaching a top speed of 20.60 mph, according to Next Gen Stats.
Henry wasn’t done with just one highlight. Earlier, he had scored on an 8-yard touchdown and later delivered a crushing 34-yard run out of the Wildcat formation, stiff-arming Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick along the way.
Jackson didn’t hold back in his praise for Henry’s playoff impact: “He’s a workhorse. That guy is just that guy. I don’t know how else to say it. Everybody can see it. I just hand him the ball, and it’s 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards. It makes my job easier. We just feed off each other.”
While Henry led the charge, it was very much a team effort, as Jackson contributed 81 yards on the ground, adding 15 carries to the team’s total. Jackson also efficiently threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-21 passing.
The Ravens’ offense was relentless. At home in the cold, they ran the ball on 24 of their first 32 plays, including a 13-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that began from their own 15-yard line.
Defensively, the Ravens smothered the Steelers, holding them to just 49 yards in the first half. With their defense setting the tone, Henry and Jackson dominated the game, even against a Steelers team that was ranked sixth in the league against the run.
By the end of the game, Baltimore had set a franchise playoff record with 299 rushing yards—more than the Steelers’ total yardage (280) for the entire game.
This victory marked a rare triumph over their archrival, as the Ravens had just beaten the Steelers for the second time in a month, after having lost eight of their previous nine matchups in the series.
Looking ahead, the Ravens are set for the Divisional Round, where they’ll either host the Texans or travel to Buffalo to face the Bills.
While the victory was impressive, Henry remained focused on keeping the team grounded. “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “We’ll enjoy this win, watch the film, figure out where we can improve, and get ready for next week. It was a great team effort, and we’re ready for what’s next.”
