BALTIMORE -- Besides being the current leading rusher in the NFL, Derrick Henry can apparently predict the future, as well.
Henry's 87-yard touchdown run on the first play of the Baltimore Ravens' 35-10 rout of the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills was even more remarkable considering the four-time Pro Bowl running back believes he called his own shot.
"It was indescribable," Henry told the Ravens' website on the field after Sunday night's game. "I did an interview Friday, talking about starting the game off right with a big play, and that happens. Sometimes you speak stuff into existence."
Henry's powerful running and breakaway speed helped the Ravens even their record at 2-2, and it makes their offense even more dangerous. Unlike the previous six seasons, when quarterback Lamar Jackson primarily carried Baltimore, the Ravens have paired a big-play runner in Henry with the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player.
After their first 0-2 start in nine years, the Ravens have won back-to-back games to close to within one game of the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) for first place in the AFC North. Baltimore also ended Buffalo's 43-game streak without losing by at least 10 points, which was the longest active streak in the NFL.
The Ravens, though, downplayed their domination of the Bills.
"We didn't win a Super Bowl today," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. "It's only Week 4, and we're trying to get to what we need to get to -- [what] we didn't get to last year -- so we have a long road ahead of us, but I think we're on a good path."
Henry certainly helped Baltimore's cause Sunday, finishing with 199 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving and two touchdowns. It marked his eighth career game with 200 yards from scrimmage and multiple touchdowns, which ranks behind only LaDainian Tomlinson (10) in NFL history.
For the season, Henry leads the NFL with 480 yards rushing, the most by any player through four games since 2021 -- when Henry ran for 510 yards in the first four games.
"He's one of one, I'll say that," Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard said of Henry. "And that's why he's just been one of the best backs in this league. I'm just so happy to have him here and block for him."
Henry set the tone when he ran through a huge hole on the right side of the line and raced 87 yards to the end zone untouched. It was the longest rushing touchdown by any player on his team's opening offensive play of the game since 2013, when Terrelle Pryor had a 93-yard touchdown on the Raiders' opening play against the Steelers, according to ESPN Research.
Showing off his swiftness at the age of 30, Henry hit a maximum speed of 21.29 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That tied the fourth-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season and marked Henry's eighth-fastest speed since 2018.
"If he gets in the secondary, he's pretty much gone," Jackson said. "It's hard to catch him, because he's fast. He's not just a powerful back. He's also fast, and he showed it on that first possession for the offense."
The only disappointment was Henry not being able to record his sixth career 200-yard rushing game. The Ravens handed the ball off to Henry twice on their final drive, but he fell one yard short.
"We'll get it for him," Ricard said. "But it's all good."
"We didn't win a Super Bowl today. It's only Week 4, and we're trying to get to what we need to get to -- [what] we didn't get to last year -- so we have a long road ahead of us, but I think we're on a good path."Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton
With Henry's help, the Ravens put together their most complete win of the season. On offense, Baltimore scored touchdowns on its first three drives. On defense, the Ravens held Bills quarterback Josh Allen to no rushing or passing touchdowns -- the first time he had been shut out like that since 2021.
"They made more plays than we did, and it was evident right away. They had more urgency than we did," Allen said. "Sometimes you walk into a building and they were [a] buzz saw tonight. They kicked our butt. That's what it comes down to."
In their previous two outings, the Ravens struggled late. Baltimore lost to the Raiders 26-23 in Week 2 after failing to hold a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. In Week 3, the Ravens held on to beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-25 after leading by 22 points in the fourth quarter.
On Sunday, the Ravens closed out the game so convincingly that Allen was pulled with 7:17 remaining.
"Now we know we are just getting better," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We know what's possible, we know what we're capable of, but we have a long way to go, and we have a lot of work to do. And we're just four games in, and we have 13 more regular-season games to play. And where the season goes, it's going to be defined by what we do in the next 13 games plus."