ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills coach Sean McDermott joked that Buffalo could use five 300-pound linebackers in assessing what it might take to stop Baltimore’s Derrick Henry.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard was a little more realistic Wednesday, saying it’s going to require all 11 defenders swarming the running back. Even quarterback Josh Allen, at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, acknowledged feeling intimidated the few times he has stood next to the 6-2, 250-pound Henry.
“He’s absolutely massive,” Allen said. “He’s as fast as anybody on the field and once he gets going downhill, he’s just tough to bring down because of his sheer size and speed.”
One way or the other, stopping Henry is among the challenges Buffalo (14-4) faces Sunday night when hosting the third-seeded Ravens (13-5) and their league-leading offense in a divisional round playoff game.
Not lost on the Bills is what happened in Week 4, when Henry broke loose on an 87-yard touchdown run on the first offensive snap in the Ravens’ 35-10 win at Baltimore. Henry finished with a season-high 199 yards rushing while also scoring on a 5-yard catch in an outing during which Buffalo surrendered a season-worst 271 yards rushing and 427 yards overall.
“Run game, pass game, third down, screen game, red zone. … We got our butts kicked,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said.
Difficult as it was re-watching the film this week, Babich noted it can serve as motivation.
“No one likes losing like we lost. I mean, we’re all competitors,” he said. “Sometimes those scars help you when you do have the chance to play a team again.”
Henry is enjoying a resurgence in his first season in Baltimore. At 31, he finished second in the NFL, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, and set franchise single-season records with 1,921 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
“He’s moving a lot faster than what he looks. That’s probably what really messes up the corners and linebackers when he hits the edge,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said.
“He’s definitely one of one. But I think the visual and what’s actually happening doesn’t really match up. It’s like, ‘Oh, I have a perfect angle,’ and then he gets around you,” he added. “He’s just different. I know the Bills will have their hand, uh, it’ll be tough.”
The good news for the Bills is they’re healthier entering Sunday, with Bernard, linebacker Matt Milano and cornerback Taron Johnson set to play after the three starters were sidelined against the Ravens.
Another positive working for Buffalo is having previous success against Henry. In five meetings when he was with Tennessee, Henry topped 100 yards just once while combining for 359 yards rushing with seven touchdowns.
The Ravens, however, pose a multifaceted test for any defense, let alone Buffalo. Stopping Henry is merely half the battle against Baltimore, which became the NFL’s first to top 4,000 yards passing and 3,000 rushing in a season, while finishing with 7,224 total yards — the third most in league history.
“They’re a one-two combination. I don’t know if the NFL has ever seen that type of combination of power, speed, explosiveness,” McDermott said. “That two-dimensional type of weaponry, if you will, is tough on people.”
An underlying subplot in Buffalo revolves around ongoing questions of the defense’s inconsistencies, especially against the run. Buffalo allowed 120-plus yards rushing nine times this year.
The questions date beyond this season involving a defense allowing a combined 500 yards rushing in Buffalo being eliminated in each of the past three divisional playoff rounds.
The criticism has reached a point where defensive tackle DaQuan Jones is aware of it, but no longer cares what’s being said.
“At the end of the day, our end goal is to win a ring. I’m not going to sit here and harp because people are saying I don’t got the stats or Ed Oliver doesn’t have the stats. OK? What do you want me to do?” Jones said.
“We’re chasing something better,” he added. “The next game right now is the Baltimore Ravens, and that’s all we’re focusing about.”
Jones spoke while wearing a Bills colored sweatshirt with a three-word phrase that includes a profanity printed on it, summing up the defense’s dismissive approach. The shirt was designed by tackle Jordan Phillips, who said the phrase was taken directly from what someone said during a recent defensive meeting.
“Just not really acknowledging the outside noise,” Jones said, “and just having the mindset of just go out there and play our style of football and see what happens.”