Derrick Henry keeps running through defenses and the record books.
Henry topped 1,000 rushing yards in only the Ravens’ ninth game of the season and scored a pair of touchdowns against the Broncos’ No. 3-ranked defense as the Ravens blew out the Broncos, 41-10, Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Henry is the Ravens’ first running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Mark Ingram II (1,018) in 2019. Prior to that, it was Justin Forsett in 2014.
“We have been really good at running the ball for a long time, but this is different. I mean, Derrick Henry is different,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He is adding a dimension that we have not had before.”
Harbaugh went back to the days of Jamal Lewis to make a comparison to the kind of impact that Henry is having on a Ravens offense. Henry joined some other NFL greats in the record books Sunday.
With his 100th- and 101st-career rushing touchdowns, Henry surpassed Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (99) and running backs Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk (100) for sole possession of eighth place in all-time rushing touchdowns.
“God has been tremendously good to me, and I’m thankful,” Henry said. “Credit to everybody who’s been a part of my career [and] to help me get to this milestone. Barry Sanders is like a running back superhero, so that’s very cool. I don’t take it for granted.”
Henry has reached the end zone in all nine of his games as a Raven and has 13 total touchdowns this season. He bullied his way into the end zone on both of his touchdown runs against the Broncos, scoring from seven and six yards out.
Henry is the fourth player since 1990 to score in each of his first nine games of a season, joining Todd Gurley (first 10 games in 2018), Arian Foster (first nine in 2012), and LeSean McCoy (first nine in 2011).
Henry reached 100 rushing yards (106) for the sixth time in his first nine games as a Raven. He said others on the bench were telling him late in the game that he should get over that marker and he responded, “If I get it, I get it.”
Henry gave a postgame locker room speech and immediately turned his and the team’s focus to the Cincinnati Bengals, who will come to M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday night.
“We got it over with, and it is what it is,” Henry said. “For me to have the day that I had, I give the credit to everybody blocking. I’m not happy with how I played, and I need to do better this next game. Any success I have, give the credit to them. To me, I’m not too happy about the game.”