While the Steelers dug themselves a 21-0 hole against the Ravens, Derrick Henry shoveled dirt on top early in the second half. Just after the Steelers showed signs of life and scored a touchdown, they immediately answered. Henry broke out for a 44-yard rushing touchdown, making it 28-7, and that was it. The Steelers scored one more touchdown, but it was too little, too late.
The Steelers’ defense on the Henry touchdown was also, of course, awful, to the point where one wonders what happened. Most likely, it was a combination of intention, execution, and communication. The Steelers played the Ravens’ read option aggressively, and Baltimore knew that, so it adapted.
“The way they were trying to play the defense, they were being a little risky”, Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley said of the Steelers. He added that the Ravens “kind of took advantage” of that on Derrick Henry’s breakaway touchdown. “We hit them on the seam. It was off the outside. The whole left side did a great job on that – the tight end, the guard, and Derrick, as well. When you hit the seam, that’s what happens when you do good execution football”.
As you can see, the Steelers had three defenders follow Lamar Jackson as the Ravens quarterback broke to play left. Henry also stepped left before cutting inside, with C Tyler Linderbaum getting just enough of LB Patrick Queen. With Montravius Adams handled to the right by RG Daniel Faalele and Alex Highsmith being washed inside, it was barely even a one-on-one play for Henry.
The Steelers didn’t contact Henry until about 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Even that was limited, with the Ravens back lightly brushing Queen off. All the Steelers’ cornerbacks coming in from the right could do was chase, but they lost the race.
I think it probably doesn’t need to be said that the Steelers likely erred on this play. Generally, when Derrick Henry is on the field, you want somebody to pay attention to him. Surely, they didn’t design the scheme so that Elandon Roberts, DeShon Elliott, and Minkah Fitzpatrick would all bite outside. Most likely at least one player did something he wasn’t supposed to, and the Ravens made them pay.
Henry certainly did, setting a franchise record against the Steelers. The Ravens rushed for 299 yards in total, losing a yard on the game’s final kneel down. As far as Cameron Heyward goes, the left side of the Ravens’ line did an excellent job of doubling him.
That was the straw that broke the Steelers’ backs. Up to that point, they probably had some hope. They have regrouped against the Ravens in the postseason before, down 21-7 in 2010. That game went down to the wire. But with Derrick Henry seemingly slamming the door shut, I’m sure many were thinking, “Here we go again”.
