Derrick Henry’s fourth-quarter absence continues to be one of the biggest talking points coming out of the Ravens’ 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots.
On Monday, reporters dug into the mechanics of how one of the NFL’s renowned “closers” didn’t get the opportunity on the Ravens’ final two drives.
Henry didn’t see the field after he scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown to put the Ravens up by 11 points with just less than 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Baltimore ran eight offensive plays after that – one drive with a three-point lead and one trailing by four points with just more than two minutes left.
Harbaugh explained that Henry and Keaton Mitchell were designated as the team’s first- and second-down backs, with Henry intended to start two-thirds of the drives in the rotation. Rasheen Ali was the third-down specialist.
Before the second-to-last drive, Harbaugh said Henry and Running Backs Coach Willie Taggart had a conversation on the sideline and determined that Mitchell would start it and Henry would finish it.
“Looking back on it right now, to your point, I would have grabbed it and said, ‘No, put Derrick in the game,'” Harbaugh said. “But that’s not really the way it works in real time. It’s the guys doing the rotation, the coach doing the rotation, and it’s also the plays that are called.”
Harbaugh said the type of play being called also can dictate who starts a series. The second-to-last drive started with an incomplete out-route to Rashod Bateman, who was covered by top Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. On second down, Mitchell ran to the right end for a 4-yard gain.
“That opening play was more of a Keaton play,” Harbaugh said. “I think that had a lot to do with him starting the series. The idea was to bring Derrick in after a few plays.”
After the Ravens converted on third down to move the chains, Mitchell remained in the game. On first down, he ran right for no gain. The Ravens then came up short on the next two plays and punted.
“I would have at least probably wanted [Henry] in after we got the first down – if I grabbed it, if I’d seen it,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a lot of layers to it. In-game, things are moving fast and that’s the way it goes.
“You look back at it and say, ‘Yeah, there’s logic going the other way for sure. You just put Derrick out there for whatever the play is.’ We all would’ve been happy with that as well.”
Harbaugh said he wasn’t going to burn a timeout to get Henry on the field, but that he’s made it clear before that he wants a particular player on or off the field.
“If I look back on it now, I’d rather have [Henry] out there, absolutely,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not arguing with that at all – on a fundamental level.”
