Pro Football Focus proves why Ravens RB Derrick Henry should be a more legitimate MVP candidate
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Baltimore Ravens News
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry’s MVP candidacy has cooled off over the past month.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for him as the award almost always goes to who voters feel was the best quarterback during the season. The emergence of Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley, who led the NFL in rushing yards in 2024, also put a damper on Henry’s case.
Henry closed out the season very strong, rushing for over 130 yards in each of his final three games. He finished second to Barkley with 1,921 yards, tied for first in rushing touchdowns with 16, first in yards per carry with 5.9, first in missed tackles forced with 80, and first in yards after contact with 1,137.
While Barkley gets more love from the media, PFF pointed out Henry bested him in several areas.
“Henry beat out Barkley in yards after contact per attempt (3.50 to 3.17), forced missed tackles per attempt (0.25 to 0.18) and PFF rushing grade (93.1 to 85.6), among other categories.”
It’s incredible what Henry is doing at 31-years-old. If Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ends up with the MVP, he definitely owes a lot of credit to Henry opening things up for him. Jackson set a career-high in passing yards this season with 4,172, and he and Henry combined for an astounding 2,836 rushing yards.
It’s probably safe to say that Henry would prefer winning a Super Bowl over being named MVP. The Ravens finished as the No. 3 seed in the AFC and are set to host their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers on wild-card weekend. Baltimore is as poised to make it to the big game as it has been in years, but Jackson has to prove that he can get his team over the hump. Perhaps Henry will be the difference-maker this time around.
