Coming off their 24-23 heartbreaking loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens got more bad news Tuesday when it was announced Willie Henry will be placed on injured reserve. Henry will likely be replaced by one of Chris Wormley or Zach Sieler. Guard Jermaine Eluemunor was activated from the practice squad following Henry’s injury announcement. Henry also missed the first four games season with an abdomen injury.
We have placed DT Willie Henry on Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/gFYge9UBjG
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 23, 2018
Baltimore Ravens Place Willie Henry on Injured Reserve
The Ravens defensive line has been debatably their biggest strength in 2018 and has held opponents to an average of 90.1 rush yards per game and 3.8 yards per attempt. Their starting interior duo of Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams is among the best in the NFL but Henry has contributed big plays in key situations since receiving his first taste of regular playing time last season.
After never seeing the field in his first season as a Raven, Henry was entering his third year in the NFL and had a promising outlook coming off a good sophomore season. Coming into 2018, if asked who the Ravens players thought their breakout defensive player was going to be this season, the majority said Henry. In Henry’s first season on the 53-man roster, he was the most consistent first-year member of a front-seven that had three members drafted in the top three rounds in 2017. In 14 games, he finished up the year with 3.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, added five pass breakups, and even earned himself three starts.
So far in 2018, Henry was not having the same sort of stat-stuffing season he had in 2017. The third-year player had only recorded three combined tackles and one sack. Henry was receiving playing time on 50 percent of snaps in his first two games back but only played 20 of 71 snaps against New Orleans. This screams that the injury that will likely keep him out for the rest of the season, arose and hampered him against the Saints.
Last Word
Coming off a game in which the Ravens only managed a season-low one sack, someone is going to have to take a big step forward as part of the pass rush and run defense. Henry was the Ravens’ best pass-rushing interior lineman a season ago.
