(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns are giving the Baltimore Ravens no shortage of bulletin board material before their divisional clash on Sunday. Safety Grant Delpit and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy both downplayed the challenge of facing some of the Ravens’ biggest stars — including one of the NFL’s most feared running backs, Derrick Henry.
Asked how difficult it is to bring down the 6-foot-3, 252-pound Henry, Delpit didn’t hesitate.
“Not hard,” he said with a smile.
Henry Fires Back
Henry, who opened his Ravens career with a dominant Week 1 performance, didn’t let Delpit’s words slip by unnoticed.
“Yeah, I saw that,” Henry responded Thursday. “We’ll see on Sunday.”
The 31-year-old back racked up 169 rushing yards in the opener, the most in the NFL last week. A six-time Pro Bowler and former 2,000-yard rusher, Henry has built a reputation as one of the league’s toughest players to bring down. He also shredded Cleveland’s defense last season, piling up 211 yards and three touchdowns in two meetings.
A History Between Delpit and Henry
This isn’t the first time Delpit has taken aim at Henry. In last year’s matchup, he delivered a crushing hit that knocked the running back to the turf. Cornerback Denzel Ward went low on the same play, while Delpit punctuated the stop with the “too small” celebration.
Cleveland has enjoyed some success against Henry under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, holding him under 75 rushing yards in two of their last three matchups. Whether that success continues now that Henry is in Baltimore remains to be seen.
Jeudy Dismisses Ravens’ Secondary
Delpit isn’t the only Brown speaking boldly this week. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy brushed aside questions about Baltimore’s talented secondary, which features five first-round picks.
“No challenges,” Jeudy said when asked about facing the unit.
The Ravens’ defensive backs were carved up by Josh Allen and the Bills in Week 1, giving up 394 passing yards, most of which came in a disastrous fourth quarter collapse. Still, Jeudy has yet to find the end zone in three career games against Baltimore, totaling 15 catches for 207 yards.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton dismissed Jeudy’s comments.
“That’s the thing with bulletin board material that I never understood,” Hamilton said. “Was I not going to play hard before he said that? If you need bulletin board material to go play … that’s a problem with you.”
Stakes for Both Teams
Both Cleveland and Baltimore enter Week 2 at 0-1 after narrow opening losses. The Browns fell 17-16 to the Bengals, while the Ravens blew a late lead in a 41-40 defeat to Buffalo.
The Browns now face the added challenge of going into M&T Bank Stadium, where Baltimore is an 11.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings.
For the Browns, confidence is high. For the Ravens, motivation has been handed to them. Sunday will show whether Delpit’s words were bold truth — or dangerous fuel for Henry.
More must-reads:
Seahawks’ Macdonald Non-Committal on Starting Riq Woolen in Week 2
Tyreek Hill Denies Domestic Violence Allegations Amid Divorce Proceedings
