Ravens' Derrick Henry takes blame for Bills loss - 'I put this on me!'
The Baltimore Ravens rolled into Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills and laid a brutal beatdown on Sean McDermott's team...until the last four minutes of the game.
Having hung 40 points on the Bills' defense as Derrick Henry (169 yards) and Lamar Jackson (70 yards) gashed them on the ground, it looked like the Ravens were headed for a statement win against their AFC rivals.
But a Henry fumble late in the fourth quarter gave the Bills life, and Josh Allen scored a touchdown on the next drive. The Ravens then had a chance to kill the game. Faced with a fourth-and-three, Baltimore decided to give the ball back to the Bills, and Allen led a drive that would end up seeing Matt Prater kick the game-winning field goal.
While football is the ultimate team game, Henry puts the loss entirely on his shoulders.
“First of all, I got to take care of the ball,” Henry said. “Told my teammates at the game, but it's also me. I own it like a man. We emphasize taking care of the ball. That's a big emphasis, especially in our room at running back, taking care of the football, keeping it high and tight and not lackadaisical, and they made a play. But yeah, I put this loss on me. If I take care of the ball feel like it be a different situation.”
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Ravens masters of own downfall
While many point to Henry's fumble as the reason the Ravens lost, for me, it was what happened, or should I say, did not happen on Baltimore's next drive that was the killer.
We have seen teams play Patrick Mahomes differently, opting for a "we're not giving the ball back to him" mindset, and against the Bills, it was Allen who was on fire.
So that brings me to the fourth-and-three at Baltimore's 38-yard line.
The offense, up until the fumble, had been borderline unstoppable, so why not put faith in Lamar or Henry to pick up those three yards and end the game?
Instead, John Harbaugh chose to give the ball back to Allen for a chance to win the game.
Baltimore got scared and paid the ultimate price.
Eagles Sign Ex-Bucs OL, Cut Promising Young DE Before Matchup vs. Chiefs
The Philadelphia Eagles wasted no time reminding people how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL.
On September 9, the front office reshuffled the roster after trading for running back Tank Bigsby. The Eagles signed offensive lineman Jake Majors to the practice squad, also cutting ties with running back Montrell Johnson Jr.
There was also a bit of a gut punch: defensive tackle Gabe Hall, who had just fought his way onto the 53-man roster, was released after the addition of Bigsby.
The recent addition of Za’Darius Smith left the DEs room a tad too crowded, and Hall was the odd man out.
Gabe Hall Cut By Philadelphia Eagles in Slew of Roster Moves
An undrafted free agent out of Baylor last year, Hall spent 2024 on Philly’s practice squad. This summer, though, he impressed enough to make the team’s initial 53-man roster, a reward for months of quiet, thankless work.
He even got on the field in the season opener against Dallas, logging a handful of defensive and special teams snaps. It felt like the beginning of something, not the end. And then, just days later, he was let go.
Unfortunately, that’s the business side of football. Hall didn’t get cut because of a lack of effort or talent. The addition of Bigsby forced Philadelphia to create a spot, and the coaching staff and front office decided their best option was to let go of a developmental interior lineman rather than trim from somewhere else.
The Eagles also signed a veteran pass rusher in Smith earlier in the week, and while he didn’t directly bump Hall, his arrival reshaped the entire front-seven picture.
More on the Eagles’ Latest Roster Moves
Bigsby, who just came over in a trade from the Jaguars, should provide an immediate boost both as a runner and to the return game. The Eagles are trying to patch a few holes after Week 1, when backup RB Will Shipley fractured his ribs.
Smith will help an Eagles defensive end group that had zero sacks in Philadelphia’s Week 1 win over the Cowboys. Smith had 9.0 sacks and 17 QB hits last year, so he should be a big addition.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that [Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] and his staff are constantly doing everything they can do to help improve this football team. I love that about Howie,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said on September 8.
“Love his tenacity of just always doing what he can, doing his job to help this football team get better. … Excited about Za’Darius and what he can add.”
After the team’s recent slew of moves, Hall just happened to be the player left without a chair when the music stopped.
There’s still a chance the young DE will return, though. If he clears waivers, a spot on the practice squad feels like a natural fit, giving him another chance to keep developing in a system that clearly liked him enough to give him real snaps.
That doesn’t erase the disappointment of this week, but it does leave the door open for a second act. For now, though, his release is a reminder of how fragile roster success can be. One day you’re the underdog story who fought his way onto the 53; the next, you’re waiting for another opportunity.
