Paying running backs is a gamble, but the Ravens invested in Derrick Henry this offseason because they believed he still had at least one more prime season left in the tank.
That gamble is paying off early on.
Henry was explosive in the Ravens' 35-10 "Sunday Night Football" win over the Bills, starting his night with an 87-yard touchdown run and continuing to set the tone for Baltimore's offense the rest of the way.
DERRICK FREAKIN' HENRY!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/xhYv0apEQu
— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2024
As dominant as Henry was, he left something on the table: one yard, and a piece of history. Henry fell one yard shy of 200 rushing yards, and that extra yard would have put the former Offensive Player of the Year in a class of his own.
Here's a look at Henry's performance against the Bills and how it ranks against the best games of his career.
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Derrick Henry stats vs. Bills
Henry exploded for 199 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries on Sunday night, adding 10 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Just one more yard would have given Henry his seventh career 200-yard rushing game, which would have broken the NFL record. Henry currently shares the record with Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson.
The one lowlight of Henry's night was a fumble that ended up in the end zone. When things are going well, though, things are going well. The Ravens recovered it anyway, and Patrick Ricard received credit for the touchdown.
John Harbaugh knew what was at stake for Henry on the Ravens' final drive, as he kept the veteran in the game with 196 yards despite taking Lamar Jackson out. Henry only got three more yards, falling short of a 200-yard game.
Asked about the milestone after the game, Henry admitted NBC he was thinking about it.
"If I wouldn't have fumbled on that touchdown, man...," Henry said, explaining that he will regret letting that opportunity slip away.
Here's a look at the best rushing performances of Henry's great career.
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Derrick Henry 200-yard games
Henry has six 200-yard rushing games in his career. Here are his eight best rushing performances, including Sunday's 199-yard outburst:
| Date | Rushing yards | TD | Opponent |
| Jan. 3, 2021 | 250 | 2 | Texans |
| Dec. 6, 2018 | 238 | 4 | Jaguars |
| Oct. 30, 2022 | 219 | 2 | Texans |
| Dec. 13, 2020 | 215 | 2 | Jaguars |
| Oct. 18, 2020 | 212 | 2 | Texans |
| Dec. 29, 2019 | 211 | 3 | Texans |
| Sept. 29, 2024 | 199 | 1 | Bills |
| Nov, 11, 2019 | 188 | 2 | Chiefs |
Texans fans, look away. Four of Henry's six 200-yard rushing games have come against Houston, and his highest total came in the game that got him over 2,000 yards for the 2020 season.
All six of Henry's 200-yard games have come against AFC South opponents, and the Bills were just one yard away from joining the Texans and Jaguars in that unfortunate group in what was an all-around ugly night for Buffalo.
