Ravens ready for Round 3 vs. Henry, Titans

Defensive end Calais Campbell knows the time has arrived to prove why Baltimore traded for him last March: It’s Round 3 of the Ravens vs. Derrick Henry.

A spot in the AFC divisional round is on the line Sunday (1 p.m., ABC/ ESPN).

Henry helped the Titans stun the top-seeded Ravens a year ago in the divisional round as the NFL rushing leader ran for 195 yards, threw a touchdown pass and turned Baltimore safety Earl Thomas into his blocker with a stiff arm at one point.

Baltimore traded a fifthround pick to Jacksonville for Campbell last March, and the six-time Pro Bowl end missed Round 2 on Nov. 22 when Henry ran for 133 yards — 89 on 10 carries in the fourth quarter and overtime — in a 30-24 win capped by his 29-yard TD run.

“Derrick Henry is one of the best running backs to ever play this game, and he’s in the zone right now,” Campbell said. “So, yes, I take pride in the challenge of lining up and trying to shut him down.”

Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams also missed that game but is available for this one. The No. 5 seeded Ravens (11-5) have won five straight, including last week’s 38-3 rout of Cincinnati.

“Now we get to see them again in the same scenario,” Williams said. “Obviously, we have that sense in it, and we know what happened last year. And, obviously, we don’t want the same thing to happen.”

The Titans (11-5) have the hometown advantage this time around, though that may not help in a rivalry in which neither Baltimore nor Tennessee has won on its own field in four previous games. They do have Henry.

He just became the first back-to-back NFL rushing champ since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07 with a career-high 2,027 yards, and Henry ran for a career-best 250 yards helping Tennessee clinch its first AFC South title since 2008 with a 41-38 win at Houston.

Now Henry is heading into the postseason, where he has thrived. Only Terrell Davis (672) and John Riggins (640) have more rushing yards through a player’s first five postseason games than Henry (630).

“We all know what’s at stake,” Henry said. “Win or go home, and when you win you keep playing.”

Baltimore has its own highly efficient running game, a three-pronged operation featuring quarterback Lamar Jackson and RBs Gus Edwards and rookie J.K. Dobbins. The Ravens averaged an NFL-best 191.9 yards rushing per game and their 3,071 yards rushing were third highest in NFL history.

OTHER SUNDAY GAMES

A For their return to the playoffs after a drought beginning in 2003, the Cleveland Browns will be missing coach Kevin Stefanski and standout guard Joel Bitonio because of COVID-19 issues, and they aren’t all that healthy otherwise. They barely practiced this week.

Perhaps of help is their familiarity with their archrivals, the Steelers, who won the AFC North but lost four of their final five after going 11-0. Cleveland (11-5) also edged Pittsburgh (12-4) in the season finale, but the Steelers rested many regulars, including QB Ben Roethlisberger and AllPro edge rusher T.J. Watt.

Key to this matchup could be the ground games. Cleveland is strong with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, while Pittsburgh struggles.

A Although the New Orleans Saints needed overtime to beat the Bears in November, they are solid favorites here after winning their fourth straight NFC South crown. Drew Brees likely is in his final playoff run and has supreme weapons in record-tying RB Alvin Kamara and, if healthy, wideout Michael Thomas.

Plus, New Orleans (12-4) has a defense in many ways as staunch as Chicago’s. The Bears (8-8) need their defense to be at its best because other than WR Allen Robinson, they have few threats. They are the third team since the 1970 merger to reach the playoffs after a six-game losing streak.

ELSEWHERE

A Panthers: Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins is planning to visit with Carolina on Monday, per league sources with knowledge of the information. Haskins, the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Ohio

State, was waived by Washington on Dec. 28, a day after the team’s 20-13 loss to the Panthers. He was benched in the fourth quarter for former Carolina quarterback Taylor Heinicke. In 16 games played over the past two years, Haskins completed 60.1% of his passes for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He is 3-10 in his 13 starts.