King Henry's Historic Climb: A Tale of Two Halves in Ravens' Opener

In a wild Week 1 showdown that ultimately ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Baltimore Ravens, running back Derrick Henry etched his name further into the NFL history books. The veteran back moved past Hall of Famer Jim Brown for sole possession of sixth place on the all-time rushing touchdowns list, but a late-game fumble overshadowed what was a dominant individual performance.

Henry entered Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills tied with the legendary Jim Brown at 106 career rushing touchdowns. He broke the tie with a signature 30-yard rumble in the second quarter, and then added another score on a 46-yard sprint in the fourth quarter, extending the Ravens' lead to a seemingly comfortable 15 points.

However, the tide turned dramatically when Henry, who had only fumbled once in his previous 37 games, coughed up the ball on a key fourth-quarter drive. The turnover sparked a frantic Bills comeback, culminating in a walk-off 41-40 victory for Buffalo. Henry took full responsibility for the loss after the game, telling reporters, "I told my teammates after the game to put the loss on me. I own it, like a man."

Despite the disappointing finish, the 31-year-old running back's historic climb continues. With 108 career rushing touchdowns, he is now just two scores shy of another Hall of Famer, Walter Payton, who sits in fifth place with 110. Henry's efficiency is remarkable; he reached 108 touchdowns in just 137 games, a significantly faster pace than Payton, who reached 110 in 190 games.

Henry's record-setting night didn't stop there. He also moved up to 18th place on the all-time rushing yards list, surpassing Steven Jackson. Averaging 1,428 yards per season in his career, he is on pace to become the 17th player in league history to surpass 12,000 career rushing yards by the midway point of the season.

As he begins his second season with the Ravens, "King Henry" is showing no signs of slowing down. While the Week 1 loss stings, his performance serves as a powerful reminder that he continues to be one of the most dominant and accomplished running backs of his generation.