Through four weeks this season, the Atlanta Falcons boast the NFL's best run defense. I guess that's something you didn't have on your bingo card after near they were the bottom of the league last year. But it's true they haven't really faced much adversity in terms of the running backs they've dealt with.
The starting RBs the Falcons have played against are Jaylen Warren, Chuba Hubbard, MarShawn Lloyd, and 31-year-old Alvin Kamara. I wouldn't exactly call that a Murderer's Row of elite backs. No wonder they're allowing less than 50 rushing yards per game given the opponents they have faced.
But for the first time all season, this run defense will face a challenge in this area, as their Week 5 opponent is the Baltimore Ravens. This weekend, Atlanta will host the Ravens on Sunday Night Football, where a date with Derrick Henry is on the docket alongside a possible reality check.
They went from going against a bunch of fringe starters (plus Kamara who doesn't start) to a matchup with one of the best backs in football. And while he may not be on the same level as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, he's right there in that next tier with Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey.
The Atlanta Falcons will have a hard time slowing down Derrick Henry
The run game is what this Ravens' offense hangs their hat on, and this will be the case regardless of whether or not Lamar Jackson plays. But if he doesn't it'll make it a lot easier for this defensive line to key in on Henry if the linebacking core doesn't have to keep a QB spy on Jackson at all times. But it's not like Tyler Huntley can't move either.
But even still, King Henry is the constant within this offense. He leads the NFL in carries as is, so you know regardless of how things look under center, Declan Doyle's game plan will be to feed their Hulk of a running back the football as many times as they can to try and tire out guys like Maason Smith and Brandon Dorlus. But they havent been stellar in short-yardage situations.
Still, the former Heisman Trophy winner's seven rushing touchdowns are tied with Josh Allen for the league lead and he's fourth in rushing yards. Every single play he can wear a defense down with a big run, but ensuring they continue to struggle in short yardage (especially around the goal line) will be just as daunting for this young defensive line.
So though he didn't play a ton last week (and was out-shined by Harold Perkins Jr.), the Falcons will need rookie LB Kendal Daniels to step in in containing the five-time Pro Bowler. But that doesn't mean it'll come easy.
The 32-year-old is an anomaly at the running back position because he's an ageless wonder. It's so rare to see running backs excel past 30 or even their late 20s nowadays, but then again a 6-foot-2, 250-pound running back is able to last longer at the top because his frame won't regress over time.
Henry's speed is good, but, his defining skillset is breaking tackles. With that frame, he's just a MAC truck that every defense will struggle to bring down, which isn't exactly ideal for the Dirty Birds. They missed six tackles in Week 4 against the Saints, and that's an area they needed to clean up anyway.
So what better way to be challenged with having to be on your A-game than a matchup like this? The Atlanta Falcons have the personnel up front, but Derrick Henry is bound to test how legit this league-leading run defense truly is.
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