Derrick Henry has a message for anyone questioning DeAndre Hopkins’ game: keep talking.
“Hopefully, they keep calling him ‘washed’ because that s— has been working,”Henry said Friday after practice, smiling as he spoke.
Hopkins, 33, has been central to Baltimore’s hot start. In Week 1, he pulled down a 29-yard touchdown in Buffalo. In Week 2, he added a 23-yard grab against Cleveland in a 41-17 win. Both plays were tough, contested catches – the kind that defined his career in Houston and Arizona.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson praised the chemistry building with his new wideout. “The guy has huge hands to catch the ball – one hand, two fingers – it doesn’t really matter,”Jackson said.
Hopkins chasing history in Baltimore
Hopkins has a chance to do something no Ravens receiver has done before: score a touchdown in each of the first three games of a season. That opportunity comes Monday night when Baltimore visits the Detroit Lions.
The turnaround is striking when compared to last year. Between Tennessee and Kansas City, Hopkins posted career lows in yards per game (38.1) and yards per catch (10.9), according to Pro Football Reference. Those struggles led to a modest one-year, $5 million deal in Baltimore.
Now? He’s already tied for the most one-handed touchdowns in the NFL since 2017, with four (per ESPN Stats & Info). And he’s done it with limited playing time – only 28 snaps across two games.
“From forgotten to focal point”
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken says the plan is to keep building Hopkins’ workload. “We’re just going to continue to get him up to speed,”Monken explained. “The more we can get him on the field, the better we’re going to be moving forward.”
Henry sees no signs of decline. “Everybody knows the stigma, when you get up in age, people think something has changed,” he said. “But he’s still that same guy. And he’s showing it.”
As the Ravens gear up for primetime, Hopkins isn’t running from the “washed” label. He’s using it – and his teammates are happy to let the critics provide the fuel.
Read the full article here
