When Derrick Henry gets a head of steam, he is one of the most difficult players in the NFL to tackle.
At 6-foot-2, 252 pounds, the Ravens’ running back is heavier than all of the Bears’ linebackers, including Tremaine Edmunds, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 251 pounds. Henry can outrun defensive linemen and overpower defensive backs.
He creates plenty of complications for an opposing defense, and that’s why Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is stressing strength in numbers to bring down the future Hall of Famer.
“Look, easier said than done,” Allen said. “I think the No. 1 coaching point is how many hats can we get around the ball. If we’re expecting one guy to get the ball on the ground all the time, that’s a tough proposition when you’re talking about this guy. You gotta be able to hit him, you gotta be able to wrap up. Essentially, you gotta be able to take his pistons away and take his legs away from him, in terms of his ability to drive through contact. I think more important than anything else, it’s like, how many hats can we get to the ball? I think that will be critical.”
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Now, that’s just the approach for Henry. Lamar Jackson presents a completely different problem. That’s, of course, if he plays on Sunday. Jackson practiced for the second straight day on Thursday but was limited with a hamstring injury, which forced the Ravens’ quarterback to miss two games this season.
Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings understands the challenge that Henry and Jackson present, and how they test a defense in different ways with their legs.
“You know it’s different between a cutback and a downhill guy,” Billings told Marquee Sports Network. “I think it is kind of like that. I think that is the biggest difference. Not in the defense. Just in the attitude in how you have to approach them. You know, going up high is just not going to work.”
Henry is the 15th-leading rusher in the NFL with his 439 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries. The Ravens’ running back also has 287 yards after contact, 17th most in the league.
Kevin Byard III and Henry were both drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2016 and spent their first eight seasons in the NFL together. Even though Byard didn’t have many opportunities to go against Henry during their Titans training camp days, he does have advice on how to approach tackling the physical runner.
“Well, don’t go high, I’ll tell you that,” Byard said. “I’ve been on the sideline and watching that guy stiff-arm everybody into the dirt. He’s a future Hall of Famer. Really good friend of his. But yeah, it’s gonna be a challenge, it’s gonna be my first time since — people don’t know this, but I actually played against him in college my senior year, but it’s my first time actually going up against him in the league, so I’m excited for that and try to avoid that stiff arm.”
To help Byard avoid a Henry stiff arm, the defensive linemen will have to do their best to clog run lanes and shed blocks. For rotational DL Chris Williams, he doesn’t believe the team has to change their defensive approach to face the Ravens’ backfield.
“Just doing the same thing we do, knocking the line back, making sure there is no open holes for him to attack,” Williams told Marquee Sports Network. “That will be how you take him (Henry) down. … Honestly, those are great players, so you have to respect their game. Where at the end of the day, you have to focus on yourself and do the things you need to do, and then you know everything is going to work out.”
Williams also mentioned that the margin of error is a lot smaller when facing dynamic players like Henry and Jackson.
The Bears aren’t overlooking the Ravens because of their 1-5 record. The coaches and players understand that Baltimore has a lot of talent and will be motivated to break their four-game losing streak this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
“This is a very important game for them,” Billings said. “It’s hard to get to the playoffs losing six games in a row, so they’re going to approach it like they’re coming off a bye week, so they’re going to be fresh and ready to go and ready to change the script. But we are, too. We got some wins under our belt, but it’s time to keep it going. So it’s a very important game for both teams, as every game is, but this is very important to them. It’s important to us. We’re going to their house, so you gotta prepare.”
