Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden posted a video on his new YouTube channel in which he uses a whiteboard to illustrate the enormous potential of the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry backfield combination this season.
Gruden, the chief commentator for Monday Night Football between coaching stints, is quite excited to see what the Ravens offense could do with the zone read.
Gruden drew a zone-read series play on the board and described how difficult it would be for the Kansas City Chiefs to handle Henry and Jackson at the same time.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden’s analysis of the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry duo is just the introduction you need to WK1.
After more than 5 months, we can finally see what it looks like on Thursday evening. #RavenSwarm pic.twitter.com/CvdbTjjjeF
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) 3 September 2024
He summed it up like this: “So that combination of Derrick Henry going one way and Lamar Jackson going the other way, good God! I don’t want to be a part of that (and try to defend that)!”
Many consider Cam Newton to be the best dual-threat quarterback of all time, but two months ago he expressed his belief that Jackson had already surpassed him in that regard.
Northwestern University starting quarterback Mike Wright was coached directly by Newton when he attended the legendary quarterback’s 7-on-7 camps in high school. Wright believes Jackson and Newton are on a level of their own when it comes to quarterback speed.
“It’s easy to fall in love with the speed of a quarterback,” Wright said in an exclusive interview for RG.”
“I’ve heard it my whole career. Whenever you see a quarterback running as fast as he can, you think, ‘Oh my God, this guy is fast.’ That’s the first thing you think about when you read a scouting report on me or Lamar. You think about how fast he is and what he can do in the run game.
“That’s what makes guys like Lamar and Cam (Newton) so dangerous; they beat you with their arm too.”
Wright, who played track and field at Mississippi State before joining NU, is right: When a quarterback is lightning fast, it overshadows all of the player’s other skills, including passing.
And the signing of Henry, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL rushing champ, provides the thunder needed to complement Jackson’s lightning.
“Plus, they have Derrick, who is f***ing Henry. Good luck tackling that guy,” Gruden added.
“Let’s say you’re an unblocked safety and you’re on defense. Nobody is blocking you, all you have to do is tackle Derrick Henry.
“You want this job? You’re not going to sign up for it.”
After a long offseason filled with speculation and predictions, we’ll finally see what this potentially deadly backfield combination looks like on Thursday night in Kansas City.
Gruden’s anticipation and excitement reflect that of the majority of Ravens fans.
