Why Was Derrick Henry on Bench vs. Patriots? Ravens' Harbaugh Responds to Criticism

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh addressed the number of touches, or lack thereof, for running back Derrick Henry toward the latter stages of Sunday's 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots.

"Looking back, would I rather have had Derrick starting the drive? Yes," Harbaugh told reporters, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "But Derrick was kind of ready for Keaton [Mitchell] to start that drive. And then, he was planning on coming in next. So, they were working that rotation.

"When you look back on it, I think it's pretty easy to say, 'Hey, he should have been in there or shouldn't have been in there.' But we're rotating those guys throughout the game as two backs. But yes, [on a] game-winning drive, do I want Derrick Henry on the field? Sure, I do want him on the field."

Harbaugh further explained the situation on Monday:

Kyle Williams' 37-yard touchdown catch trimmed Baltimore's lead to three points with 9:01 on the clock. By that point in the game, starting quarterback Lamar Jackson was sidelined because of a back injury as well.

When the Ravens got the ball back, it was seemingly a great time to lean on Henry and eat up valuable time. Instead, the five-time Pro Bowler didn't have a single carry on that drive or his team's final possession, which lasted just two plays thanks to a fumble by wide receiver Zay Flowers.

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Harbaugh's rationale for Henry's usage probably doesn't wash in the eyes of a lot of Ravens fans.

The star ball-carrier went for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Mitchell, by contrast, had 13 rushing yards on the night. One of the two was clearly more suited for an important late-game situation, rotation or not.

Keeping Henry on something of a pitch count makes sense. His 251 carries are the fifth-most in the NFL, and the 31-year-old has put a lot of mileage on his body over his career.

A coach should also be flexible.

Opting for Mitchell over Henry in the fourth quarter would've been a puzzling call even if the Ravens hung on to win. The fact Baltimore lost—and now sits two games behind the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers—makes Harbaugh's tactical choice look worse.