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Derrick Henry, Ravens trample Packers: Winners and losers of Saturday's game
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- Derrick Henry, Ravens trample Packers: Winners and losers of Saturday's game
Despite being reduced to a battle of backup quarterbacks, Saturday's showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers was hardly starved for relevance.
The prime-time meetup seemed sure to lose some of its luster with both Jordan Love (concussion) and Lamar Jackson (back) ruled out. But with their contrasting offensive approaches, both the Ravens and Packers provided plenty of reasons for fans to figure out how to tune into Peacock to catch the exclusive stream.
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Ultimately, the Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive with a 41-24 win over the Packers, who lost their third consecutive game. Still, Baltimore could be eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Steelers can wrap up the AFC North with a win over the Cleveland Browns .
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the Ravens' triumph over the Packers:
Winners
Derrick Henry
No questions this week about how the five-time Pro Bowl running back fit into the Ravens' backfield plans. Henry was the focal point of Baltimore's offense from the get-go, recording three rushing touchdowns before halftime. He broke free for another to ice game late in the fourth quarter, finishing with 216 rushing yards – the most ever at Lambeau Field by a visiting player – on a career-high 36 carries. He also surpassed Tony Dorsett to move into 10th in NFL history in career rushing yards and tied Adrian Peterson for fourth in career rushing touchdowns.
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Malik Willis ' free agency value
In an offseason where the need for quarterbacks again figures to far outpace the supply of promising signal-callers, Willis is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating figures of free agency. The former third-round pick made the most of his showcase game, opening with a pair of impressive downfield strikes before weaponizing his running skills throughout the evening en route to two touchdowns via the ground. Perhaps more importantly, the volatile dual-threat signal-caller showed impressive composure and shrewd decision-making rather than forcing the ill-advised tight window throws he's gravitated toward in the past. So long as the right shoulder injury that forced him to exit in the fourth quarter isn't severe, Willis looks bound for a head-turning payday in March.
John Harbaugh
A frigid night at Lambeau Field might have helped the league's second-longest-tenured coach turn the temperature down a bit on speculation about his future. The Ravens still are a long shot to return to the playoffs, but Harbaugh at least avoided a full-blown meltdown and accusations of his team folding amid suboptimal circumstances. And while it might be cold comfort if Baltimore is denied the AFC North title on Sunday, Harbaugh still can avoid just the third losing ledger of his 18-year career if he can squeeze out a win against the Steelers in Week 18.
Tyler Huntley
He won't earn a Willis-like payout in free agency for his performance, but Huntley gave the Ravens enough on a night when they didn't have much room for error. His passing production was modest, with just 107 yards coming through the air. But the trusted backup avoided catastrophic sacks and turnovers, and he came up clutch on a critical fourth-quarter touchdown strike to Zay Flowers on a third-and-8 look. That's the kind of output bound to keep Huntley in demand in a league with a shortage of trustworthy QB2s.
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Losers
Packers' defensive front
Maybe it wasn't fair to expect Green Bay to offer a ton of resistance with their two most disruptive forces in Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt out with season-ending injuries. Still, not even an illusion of a consistent aerial attack was required for the Ravens to run roughshod over the Packers. The 175 rushing yards surrendered in the first half represented the most given up by the defense in a game all year. Baltimore rolled to 307 yards and 22 first downs on the ground alone, with Green Bay unable to consistently force the offense into dif ficult third-down looks or obvious passing situations. Barring a substantial short-term turnaround, this group could be the Packers' postseason undoing, particularly if a rematch with the rival Chicago Bears and their prolific rushing attack awaits in the wild-card round.
Packers' depth
Green Bay was already hurting entering the game. The losses kept coming with Willis, cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Kamal Hadden , wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks , defensive lineman Jordon Riley and safety Zayne Anderson all suffering injuries from which they would not return. At this point in the year, the Packers simply don't have enough to keep weathering these losses.
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Josh Jacobs
Entering the game with no injury designation despite being limited in practice during the week due to his knee and ankle, the Packers running back certainly wasn't afforded the Derrick Henry treatment. Jacobs received just two carries for 1 yard in the first half and finished with 3 yards on the ground. It was another tough outing for a ball carrier coming off a 36-yard performance in a loss to the Chicago Bears, which also featured a key fumble.
Steelers
Pittsburgh surely would have appreciated waking up to a secured AFC North title. But given how this season has gone within the division, it's fitting that the crown wouldn't be conferred with ease. The Steelers can still seal the deal against an overmatched Browns team on Sunday.
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Jeff Hafley's head-coaching candidacy
At one point this fall, the Packers defensive coordinator looked as though he could have as good a case as anyone at his level to secure a top job this offseason. But with the way things are trending, Hafley probably needs at least a third season in the role before ascending to the head-coaching ranks. Green Bay's 27 first-half points marked the most given up by the unit all season. The Packers defense briefly showed some signs of life in the second half, but the group largely failed Willis on a night when he provided more than enough of a spark for the offense. No matter how strong of a case he can build in an interview setting, Hafley will have a hard time overcoming the unit's trajectory to earn himself a head-coaching gig.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Derrick Henry, Malik Willis top Ravens vs Packers winners and losers
