Revenge is a dish best served cold. Just ask Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who went off against a Dallas Cowboys team that showed no interest in signing him this offseason.
With the Ravens getting the 28-25 win, Henry and Co. look to be getting the last laugh.
While the Cowboys struggled to find their offensive identity or any resemblance of a running game, Henry was on the other sideline having a highlight of a day against their defense.
Derrick Henry Gets His Revenge Against the Cowboys
If you believe motivation is a true difference-maker in the NFL, then Henry’s performance on Sunday is Exhibit A.
Henry has a home in the Dallas area, was willing to listen to the Cowboys this offseason while he was mulling offers from teams, and was even eager to potentially help America’s Team get over the hump in 2024.
However, the Cowboys never called; instead, he signed with the Ravens to pair up with Lamar Jackson and be one of the most deadly running duos in the NFL.
Welp Derrick Henry told me he was looking forward to this one after wanting to play in Dallas. Lives and trains here in the offseason. Told me about 20 people in the stands to see him. Nice show today. 2 TDs, 133 scrimmage yards
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 22, 2024
With that surely in the back of his mind, Henry went off against a porous Cowboys rush defense on Sunday, finishing with 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 6.0 yards per carry.
King Henry stiff-armed would-be tacklers, showed his elusiveness, and used every carry to remind Dallas of what they could have had.
If Cowboys fans needed another reminder of just how poorly the team has chosen to handle the running back position, Henry’s performance on Sunday may have just been the smoking gun.
For the Ravens, one team’s decision to pass is their treasure, and Sunday was pure satisfaction for both them and Henry that they made the decision to pair up.
Cowboys’ Running Back Room Is a Real Problem
As Henry enjoys his situation in Baltimore, the Cowboys’ running back situation in Dallas for more dire.
With no real identity to speak of and no real proof they can establish the run, the Cowboys trot out a mixture of Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn, hoping to show enough to keep the defense honest for their passing game.
On Sunday, Dallas only mustered 51 yards on the ground, and while circumstances can dictate, Week 3 was further evidence that they may not have the horses in-house to sustain a respectable running game.
Through three games, the Cowboys are averaging 73.7 rushing yards per game on offense, while giving up an average of 185.7 rushing yards per game on defense.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 22, 2024
Dallas chose to go cheap at the position, spending very little money and using old friends and homegrown commodities to try and build out a respectable running game. However, through three games, Dallas looks to have the worst running back room in the NFL and has left the rest of the NFL truly perplexed by their handling of the situation.
Not only are they unable to establish the run and bring that element to their offensive attack, but the lack of a real running threat that strikes fear in a defense also hurts their passing game. Teams can play a two-high safety look, stay light in the box, and force them to try to run the ball, knowing it won’t be effective.
It’s a massive question mark whether it can actually be fixed right now, and the other looming variable is whether they’re even willing to do the necessary things to make it happen.
Dallas is not the type of organization that is willing to outsource talent very often, and even if they do, there isn’t much game-breaking talent available to add.
For an organization that has been a perennial playoff contender over the last few years, with running backs worth respecting, things look dark right now in Big D.
Instead, it looks as if Dallas will be stuck at the bottom of the league with a poor rushing attack and an offense predicated on hitting big shots to bail them out. It hasn’t worked for them yet, and it would perhaps be foolish to think it will start now.