Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 216 rushing yards and matched a personal best with four touchdown runs as the Ravens remained in the postseason hunt by beating the Green Bay Packers 41-24 on Saturday night.
The powerful back had three touchdown runs in the opening two quarters and then found the end zone once more on a 25-yard dash with 1:56 left in the game. His seventh career 200-yard rushing performance surpassed two legendary runners for the most in league history.
His 36 carries constituted a career high.
The Ravens (8-8) now must rely on the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers lose at Cleveland on Sunday. A Pittsburgh win in Cleveland would end Baltimore’s playoff hopes. If the Browns win that game, the could capture the division title by defeating the Steelers on the road next week.
The Packers, falling to 9-6-1 dropped their third consecutive game, enabling the Chicago Bears to clinch the NFC North title. The Packers had already clinched a playoff berth earlier in the week.
Both teams were missing their starting quarterbacks as Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson is sidelined by a back injury while Green Bay’s Jordan Love is in the concussion protocol. The two replacement starters – Tyler Huntley and Green Bay’s Malik Willis – were both productive in a game that featured only a single punt.
Willis went 18-for-21 for a career-high 288 yards and one touchdown, and he also rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns before leaving after aggravating a shoulder injury. The Ravens' backup was 16 of 20 for 107 yards with one touchdown.
The deciding factor in the matchup was the Packers' failure to slow down Henry, who helped the Baltimore outgain on the ground the Packers by a wide margin.
Henry was not utilized in the Ravens' last two possessions the previous week in a narrow defeat. The veteran running back’s absence in the final period was a major point of discussion around Baltimore all week.
The coaching staff made sure he got the ball frequently from the outset. Henry’s dominance allowed the offense to put points on the board on their first five possessions and build a 27-14 halftime lead.
He accumulated 15 carries in Baltimore’s opening two drives and finished each of them with scores. He added another three-yard touchdown just before the second quarter ended.
The Packers made it competitive by outscoring the Ravens ten to nothing in the third quarter.
After a three-pointer, the Packers elicited the initial punt of the night. Willis then scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 27-24.
But the Ravens answered on their next series.
Henry ran for a key gain on a third down play. He ended the third quarter with a 30-yard burst. Those two plays set up a scoring strike from Huntley to his receiver.
The Packers' quarterback drove the Packers into Ravens' land before injuring his throwing shoulder and heading to the locker room. His backup threw an pick on his first attempt.
Texans Secure Playoff Spot After Victory Over Los Angeles
CJ Stroud connected on a pair of deep scores on the team's first two drives, and the Houston went on to beat the Chargers by four points on Saturday afternoon to clinch a third consecutive playoff berth.
The Texans (11-5) extended their winning streak to eight games, their longest such streak in several seasons.
The Chargers (11-5) had their positive run snapped and handed the AFC West title to their rivals.
Stroud’s two explosive TDs stunned the Chargers and gave Houston a two-score advantage. On his first pass of the game, he found a wideout for a long touchdown. He later tossed a 43-yard TD on the following possession.
Stroud completed his first six attempts of the game. He finished with 244 passing yards.
The Texans' defensive unit forced key sacks on the opponent's opening drives. The Chargers were forced to three-and-out on multiple early drives.
The LA signal-caller, competing with a broken hand, was sacked five times.
An interception of the Texans' QB in the first half only resulted in a field goal for the Chargers. Another interception failed to produce any points.
The LA were denied on the goal line by a key defensive play. The target saw the ball pop off his hands, leading to the change of possession.
The placekicker missed a field goal from close distance just before the break and later pushed wide an PAT attempt on the team’s final drive after a late touchdown.
The Houston specialist converted kicks from 41 and 44 yards to contribute to the victory.
