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Derrick Henry Dominates, CJ Stroud Starts Strong in Saturday’s NFL Games
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry kept his team’s season going, and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud helped his team make the playoffs.
Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after beating the Green Bay Packers 41-24 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Dec. 27, 2025. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud came up big for their teams in key wins on Saturday.
Henry dominated with 216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries in a 41–24 victory over the Green Bay Packers (9–6–1) at Lambeau Field. Stroud previously came out firing with two big-play first-quarter touchdown passes in a 20–16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers (11–5).
Both were among the many significant performances and key takeaways from Saturday’s Week 17 games, where the Ravens (8–8) stayed alive, and the Texans (11–5) clinched a playoff berth.
Derrick Henry Looks Ageless
Henry, 31, is considered past his prime as running backs have been known to decline after age 30.
He showed quite the opposite on Saturday with quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined due to a back injury. Henry essentially put together two full games of work, which started with 103 yards and three touchdowns before halftime and a 27–14 lead.
He tied all-time great running back Jim Brown at seven career games with 200 or more yards and four touchdowns. Henry also broke a tie with legendary running backs Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson for the most 200-yard games.
C.J. Stroud Burns Chargers Secondary Twice
Stroud came out swinging with a 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie hideout Jayden Higgins.
Then, Stroud went big again with a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylin Noel. Stroud went 16-28 passing for 244 yards with the two scores, and he didn’t get sacked. However, Stroud threw two interceptions that proved to be inconsequential in the end.
Packers, Ravens Backup QBs Shine
Both Green Bay and Baltimore relied on backup quarterbacks on Saturday, and both got the job done for their teams.
Packers backup Malik Willis filled in for Jordan Love, who sustained a concussion in Week 16. Willis stepped up with a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Christian Watson early in the game.
While Willis didn’t lead the Packers to victory, he became the first quarterback in franchise history to surpass 250 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, throw a touchdown pass, and rush for two scores in one game. He finished with 18-21 passing for 288 yards and 60 yards rushing.
Meanwhile, Ravens backup Tyler Huntley stepped up with 16-20 passing for 107 yards and a touchdown. Huntley also rushed for 60 yards, and he only took one sack.
Micah Parsons Absence Shows
Green Bay’s defense has struggled since star linebacker Micah Parsons sustained an ACL tear in Week 16.
The Packers have given up 228.5 rushing yards per game since the injury, and Green Bay hasn’t sacked a quarterback either in that span. Beforehand, the Packers gave up 100.5 rushing yards per contest, and Green Bay had 33 sacks as a team before the past two losses.
Parsons had 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection before the injury.
Chargers Face Serious Questions
Los Angeles missed out on the AFC West title with Saturday’s loss, and the Wild Card-bound Chargers face serious questions after a big home loss.
The Chargers’ secondary created two turnovers, but they also couldn’t stop the Texans on big plays and when needed most. That included a late penalty on the Texans’ final drive, which prevented the Chargers from getting the ball back.
Los Angeles also couldn’t get going offensively until late in the third quarter when quarterback Justin Herbert threw his first and only touchdown pass of the game. The Chargers finished with 275 yards of offense but punted seven times.
Texans Pass Rush Shines
Houston’s defensive front had a big day as defensive ends Derek Barnett and Will Anderson Jr. combined for 3.5 sacks. Fellow defensive ends Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter each had a sack, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins had a half sack.
The Texans also rattled Herbert with eight quarterback hits. Hunter and Barnett each had two quarterback hits in the process.
Matthew Davis is an experienced, award-winning journalist who has covered major professional and college sports for years. His writing has appeared on Heavy, the Star Tribune, and The Catholic Spirit. He has a degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University.
