There isn’t much anyone can say to detract from the likely Hall of Fame career of Ravens safety Earl Thomas. Super Bowls, All-Pro selections, positions of prominence on some of the best defensive teams of his generation, Thomas has the bona fides of a great all-around defensive player. But Titans running back Derrick Henry clearly didn’t care about that when he broke away from the Ravens’ defense in the second half of Tennessee’s 28-12 win over top-seeded Baltimore Saturday.
The run, which went for 22 yards, came at the tail end of the third quarter with the Titans holding a dominating 28-6 lead. Henry had already broken off a 66-yard run that set up his touchdown pass to Corey Davis, so the fact the drive didn’t result in points was irrelevant.
“I just said, ‘Good to see you, Earl. Good to see you, man. Hopefully we can do this again,’ ” Henry said of Thomas, according to USA TODAY’s Nate Davis.
It was a response to Thomas’s insight leading into the game that suggested the Patriots, whom Henry ran all over in a wild-card win, didn’t seem interested in tackling Henry, while suggesting the Ravens wouldn’t have an issue with it.
Thomas, and every Ravens defender, had an issue tackling Henry, regardless of their mindset leading into the game. Whichever team the Titans face in the AFC Championship game — either the Chiefs or Texans who play Sunday — would be wise to lead any conversation regarding Henry and the Titans ground game to a place of respect.
