The Baltimore Ravens have had major issues defensively through their first four games, but ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky says the team’s offense has also made an inexcusable mistake.
Orlovsky shared a video on social media Thursday in which he revealed what he called a “shocking and honestly unacceptable” trend. While watching film, the former NFL quarterback noticed that the Ravens have seemingly been ignoring Derrick Henry on early downs this season.
Orlovsky shared his observation with a stats person, who determined that the Ravens have given the ball to their running backs on first and second down less often than any other team in the NFL.
“I found this out about the Ravens and it absolutely shocked me. A month into the season, the Baltimore Ravens — with Derrick Henry — are the 32nd-ranked offense in the NFL when it comes to giving the ball to their running back on first or second down,” Orlovsky said. “Meaning, they run the football on first and second down with their running backs the least out of everybody in the NFL. When they do it, they’re second in yards per carry at 6.0.”
This is shocking and honestly unacceptable pic.twitter.com/v3FFvTdrqW
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 2, 2025
Henry got just 8 carries in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He had 12 carries the week before when the Ravens lost 38-30 to the Detroit Lions.
The Ravens fed Henry seemingly nonstop in 2024, and the formula worked. Henry had 325 carries for 1,925 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged a career-best 5.9 yards per carry and is averaging a similar 5.8 yards per carry this season.
Most of the focus has been on Baltimore’s defense amid the team’s 1-3 start, and rightfully so. The Ravens have allowed a league-worst 33.3 points per game, but their offense has not been perfect, either.
Though it was inevitable that the Ravens would reduce Henry’s workload this season, they have gone too far in the other direction. Henry will likely start seeing plenty of touches now that Lamar Jackson is expected to miss time with an injury.
