Bill Belichick talks up Ravens' Derrick Henry ahead of season opener vs Chiefs
In a recent chat with Kay Adams, 4x Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski singled out Derrick Henry as the X factor for the Ravens. Now, in a conversation with Pat McAfee, widely acclaimed as the "greatest coach of all time," Bill Belichick gave props to the running back.
The Baltimore Ravens had acquired the RB from the Tennessee Titans earlier this year for a two-year contract worth $16 million. What impact would Henry have on the Ravens exactly? According to Belichick:
"Yeah, I think you absolutely have to stand up to it. This guy can, you know, he's an explosive player that can push the pile, gain the tough yards when he needs to, and he can also, you know, hit the home run." (0:18 - 0:28)
But Derrick Henry's true potential will come to the fore only in the fourth quarter. Belichick highlighted his stamina and the fact that he'll be able to tire out the Kansas City Chiefs defense.
"If you can get into a close game with him in the fourth quarter, he wears defenses down, and, uh, you know, he's really a tough guy to tackle. You know, when, once he gets those guys a little bit tired in their arm tackling, and maybe there aren't quite as many of them there as there were early in the game, you know, he can break those tackles."
Thursday's game is going to be a rematch of the AFC Championship game, in which the AFC first seed lost to the Chiefs. But Belichick said that they might have a chance of taking revenge if they run the ball more frequently than they did in the last game.
Rob Gronkowski endorses Derrick Henry
When asked about which team will win the AFC championship rematch, Gronk said that he was rooting for the Ravens. And what was different now from the last time the Chiefs and Ravens went head to head?
"I feel like he will win for one reason: because of that new running back they signed, Derrick Henry. I think he's going to bring them to the Promised Land and get them over that hump. Derrick Henry is an absolute beast, an absolute game-changer, and the guy is just ready to rock and roll." (20:58 - 21:13)
The season opener, in some ways, will set the tone for the Ravens' entire 2024 campaign. Will Derrick Henry really be the game-changer that could help the Ravens win the Super Bowl? Or will he just get Ravens fans' hopes up for no reason?