Late for Work: Pundits Crown King Henry the…

Pundits Crown King Henry the Greatest Running Back of All Time

It wasn’t all that long ago that pundits were discussing whether Derrick Henry had secured his spot as a first–ballot Hall of Famer. Then came the debate of whether he had carved out a place on the Mount Rushmore of NFL running backs.

As the 32-year-old continues to stiff-arm Father Time, there’s no longer any question that Henry is one of the greatest running backs of all time. The question now being raised is whether King Henry is the greatest running back of all time.

“We are watching the greatest running back in NFL history right now: Derrick Henry,” Kay Adams of the “Up & Adams Show” said. “There has never been another running back like him. He’s got the crazy size, of course. He’s got the speed. He’s got the agility. He’s got the mentality. He takes care of his body better than anybody I’ve ever seen.

“With the way he looked against the Colts [in the season opener], it just made me think he can do this for another 20 years.”

CBS Sports analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Terron Armstead also made the case for Henry being the GOAT.

“I think we’re not being vocal enough about Derrick Henry being the greatest running back of all time – arguably,” Armstead said. “We talk about him being a Hall of Famer. But it is time to really have that conversation that he may be the greatest running back of all time.

“I think we lack that conversation because he’s not flashy, he’s not shifty. We see Barry Sanders. We see the Gale Sayers of the world. But when you talk about production, time and time again – 2,000-yard-rusher, lead the league in touchdowns – time and time again, year after year, and he’s only getting better, we need to have that conversation.”

Who is the greatest at anything is obviously subjective, but numbers don’t lie. Henry is 10th on the all-time rushing list and will likely move up to sixth if he plays a full season in 2026. While he’s still more than 5,000 yards away from breaking the record, record-holder Emmitt Smith believes Henry could do it.

CBS Sports analyst Adam Archuleta pointed out that unlike Smith, who literally hit the ground running as a Day 1 starter for the Dallas Cowboys, Henry was a backup in his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans and shared carries with Dion Lewis in Year 3.

Henry rushed for 490 yards as a rookie in 2016, 744 yards the following season, and 1,059 yards in 2018. He became the full-time starter in 2019 and has averaged 1,473 yards per season since.

The only year in that span that Henry didn’t hit the 1,000-yard mark was 2021, when a broken foot ended his season after eight games; he still finished with 937 yards.

Lamar Jackson Gets MVP Love, Makes Leap in Quarterback Rankings

Lamar Jackson’s sensational performance in Week 1 had pundits rethinking their preseason assessments of the two-time MVP.

“It’s never too early to abandon a preseason take, kids,” FOX Sports’ Steven Ruiz wrote. “Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was my MVP pick before the season, and it took one week of watching Lamar Jackson in the new-look Ravens offense to change my mind. That’s how much I trust new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle, the 30-year-old Ben Johnson protégé. We’re working with a sample size of one game — Baltimore’s 41-23 shellacking of the Colts — but I’m calling it now: The NFL’s youngest playcaller has the goods.”

After starting the season at No. 8 in FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna’s quarterback rankings, Jackson soared to No. 2 this week behind the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen.

Jackson climbed from Tier 2 and No. 8 overall in NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s quarterback index to Tier 1 and No. 3 behind Allen and the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams.

“Lamar Jackson raved about Declan Doyle’s offense as a breath of fresh air entering the new season. Perhaps he should have described it as a hurricane, because Baltimore destroyed Indianapolis on Sunday,” Shook wrote. “Jackson played an integral part, throwing for 324 yards by leaning heavily on Zay Flowers early and distributing the ball fairly evenly after the star wideout left with a hamstring tweak.

“It helped that everything worked for the offense, but I won’t let Derrick Henry’s 144 yards take away from Jackson’s performance. If this becomes the standard for the Ravens, expect Jackson to own a firm place in the MVP discussion (again).”

Vega Ioane Named NFL’s Most Impressive Rookie in Week 1

Rookie guard Vega Ioane’s NFL debut last Sunday wasn’t perfect, but he showed why the Ravens made him the No. 14 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.

CBS Sports’ Mike Renner said Ioane was the only rookie who looked like a Pro Bowler in Week 1.

“He was the single best rookie I saw on tape in Week 1,” Renner wrote. “He was dominant in the run game at right guard against the Colts, and while there was a trio of reps he’d want back in pass protection, there were others where he paved the way for Lamar Jackson’s scrambles. Considering the state of the Ravens’ right guard position a year ago, this draft pick could not have had better early returns.”

Ioane’s best moment in the game was when he pancake-blocked Colts All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

“That doesn’t happen to this player for the Colts, but that’s Ioane,” NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger said. “He brings attitude to this offense. I love it.”

On a side note, former NFL center A.Q. Shipley of “The Pat McAfee Show” put the Ravens at No. 2 in his top five offensive lines for Week 1.

Ravens ‘Can Go Very Far’ if Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey Play Like They Did in Season Opener

Nate Wiggins wants to establish himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks in his third season. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey is looking to return to Pro Bowl form.

Both got off to a good start toward those goals in Week 1.

“Sunday sure was a phenomenal start for Wiggins, who dominated during the Ravens’ 41-23 victory over the Colts, allowing zero receptions on two targets across 34 coverage snaps,” The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino wrote. “According to Next Gen Stats, Wiggins was the only outside cornerback in the NFL who played at least 25 coverage snaps in Week 1 without surrendering a catch. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones tested him twice and came away empty both times.”

Humphrey was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded cornerback in the NFL.

“The 10th-year veteran cornerback broke up a deep pass, allowed only 29 yards on four targets and ripped the ball away from star running back Jonathan Taylor and recovered it himself, one of two Baltimore takeaways,” Tolentino wrote. “First-year coach Jesse Minter rewarded Humphrey with an honorary game ball.

“While Wiggins routinely erased his assignment, his counterpart stole a possession. Yeah, the Ravens can work with that.”

Tolentino said the Ravens “can go very far” if the two cornerbacks continue to play at a high level.

“It’s early, but the Ravens believe their explosive offense can score with anyone. Their defense

becomes considerably more dangerous when Wiggins takes away one side of the field, Humphrey hunts turnovers on the other and the improved pass rush closes in between them,” Tolentino wrote. “If this is what Baltimore receives from its top two cornerbacks, the Ravens look ready for a long run.”

Todd Monken Says He Thought Baker Mayfield Was Signing With Ravens in 2023

When quarterback Baker Mayfield was a free agent in 2023, there was a report that the Ravens pursued him to be Jackson’s backup. Mayfield opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because he wanted to go where he had an opportunity to start.

Cleveland Browns Head Coach and former Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, whose team faces Mayfield and the Buccaneers on Sunday, confirmed the Ravens’ past interest in the former No. 1-overall pick.

“When I was in Baltimore, we thought he was coming there to be our backup,” Monken said at his Wednesday press conference. “We thought after [he had been with] Carolina and the Rams, he was going to come to Baltimore, and I was fired up about it.”

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