Against the Cowboys, Derrick Henry handled his heaviest workload of the season, carrying the ball 26 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns in Baltimore’s 34-31 win. Dallas was keyed in on Henry throughout the game, limiting him to 3.4 yards per carry and -0.42 EPA per rush, according to NFL Savant.
That stands in stark contrast to Lamar Jackson, who attempted just 20 passes but finished with a 136.7 passer rating and 0.60 EPA per dropback. Given how effective Baltimore was through the air, it is fair to wonder whether the Ravens leaned too heavily on the running game.
Giving Jackson The Keys
A counterargument is that Baltimore’s heavy rushing workload helped open up the passing game. There is some merit to that idea, but the Ravens did not appear particularly interested in exploiting that effect early. Jackson entered the third quarter with just 58 passing yards, as Baltimore remained committed to getting Henry the ball. That approach was a valid strategy. Dallas is 31st in rushing yards allowed per game at 179.7; any coach worth their salt would see that and try to exploit that weakness.
However, Dallas held up well against Baltimore’s commitment to the run; the Ravens did attempt to leverage that rushing threat through play action, as eight of Jackson’s 20 attempts came after a run fake. Still, considering how efficient Jackson was when given opportunities to throw, 20 total pass attempts feels conservative.
One play-action pass showed just how keyed in Dallas was on Henry. With 1:48 remaining in the third quarter, Jackson faked a handoff before finding rookie tight end Matt Hibner on a block-and-release for 21 yards. Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham shaded inside in anticipation of the run, leaving Hibner wide open with room to turn upfield.
Henry’s presence had already opened passing lanes, and Baltimore could have leaned further into that advantage by giving its two-time MVP quarterback more opportunities to exploit them. The Ravens’ approach was not unsuccessful—they still scored 34 points—but a few more Jackson attempts at the expense of some Henry carries may have made an already efficient offense click even more.
