There's no denying that Derrick Henry is one of the greatest running backs of all time. The Kansas City Chiefs' interior defensive line will have their hands full trying to contain him, and it will take a collective effort to hold him back.
Nevertheless, even the best players have an Achilles heel, and Henry's has become painfully evident for the visiting Baltimore Ravens. He's struggled to keep the ball in his hands, and the Chiefs should make the most of that opportunity.
Derrick Henry’s Ball-Security Issues Are a Major Opportunity for the Chiefs
The Chiefs were tied for the fifth-most forced fumbles in the league last season (15). They only recovered seven of those, but they clearly have a great nose for the ball, and that will definitely be a point of emphasis this week.
Henry has cost his team in their two losses this season. A costly late-game fumble led the door wide open for the Buffalo Bills to come back in Week 1, and another one helped the Detroit Lions extend their lead in the fourth quarter of Week 3.
This isn't new for Henry. He already had two fourth-quarter fumbles in his nine previous years in the league, and he's up to 23 fumbles in his career. That isn't a particularly high number, especially for a player with such a high usage, but he has now had at least one in two games this season.
It's hard for any player to get that out of his head, and that's when the Chiefs need to be extremely aggressive. They must attack the ball early and often, knowing that it might take Henry mentally out of the game.
Henry, who signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension in the offseason, hasn't been as big a factor in the past couple of weeks. He looked poised for another dominant year after rushing for 169 yards in the season opener, but he's been bottled up ever since.
The Cleveland Browns' defense held him to 23 yards on 11 carries in Week 2, and he had 50 rushing yards and one touchdown on 12 carries in Week 3. Either he's lost a step, or opposing defenses have finally found a way to contain him.
The Chiefs have one of the sharpest defensive minds leading the way in Steve Spagnuolo, and Chris Jones might be one of the few human beings who could legitimately hold their ground against a human bulldozer like Henry. Of course, he's still a great player and a future Hall of Famer, but recent history is encouraging for the Chiefs.