You know that phrase, “adding fuel to the fire…” It does feel counterproductive, right? But in the NFL, especially before a game as hyped as the Ravens vs. Bills in the divisional round, it’s all about the heat. That’s the game ahead of the game: THE MIND GAME! And we get it when it’s lining up for the MVP face-off between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. But you call yourself a fanatic and are skipping past one of the craziest storylines in the making? Oh! We are looking at you… Von Miller scheming against Derrick Henry.

But we do understand Miller’s urgency to plot… It’s Derrick Henry, after all. At 31, the guy’s defying every law of football physics. According to Pro Football Focus (yeah, yeah, don’t roll your eyes just yet), Henry’s 2024 season was his best ever. Picture this: 325 carries, 1,921 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Not bad for someone supposedly past his prime, right?

Von Miller, the man tasked with stopping this freight train, had some thoughts. “Me and Derrick Henry are exactly the same size, as far as height and weight,” Miller joked on the Rich Eisen Show as he added, “But tackling him? You gotta have population.” Translation: it’s not a one-man job. And why not? After all, Henry is a running back who can make a linebacker appear ‘normal’! And guess what? not just looks, even numbers support that. Look back to 2016, the year Henry was drafted.

After Henry’s impressive workout, The NFL Network flashed a graphic showing the running back’s closest NFL comparison by combine workout. Not Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, or Marshawn Lynch. But it was none other than the then-Denver Broncos Von Miller! Many had initially thought that it was a mistake. It was not. Take a look at the detailed side-by-side stats.

Long story short: tackling Henry is like trying to bring down a linebacker. In case you are not convinced, even after reading all these, let’s remind you of this.

Back in 2015, Henry had once flipped over Michigan State defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun with a vicious stiff-arm and it was so hard that Calhoun front flipped to the ground. There are two possible explanations for this: Either Henry was strong enough after 20 carries and 75 yards against the Michigan State defense that he could lift an All-Big Ten defensive end and toss him to the ground like a doll, or Calhoun was finally so tired of trying to tackle the Heisman Trophy winner that he tried to take him down with Guile’s flash kick from Street Fighter II Turbo. Either way, it didn’t end well for Calhoun.

Well, Von Miller does not necessarily need to dig up these facts and stats. Because he knows firsthand how tough Henry is—they work out together at the SandersFit Performance Center in Dallas. And apparently, Henry’s a beast not just on the field but in the gym, too.

“Keeping up with him in the weight room is harder than the football field,” Miller admitted. The guy’s got multiple workouts a day, a recovery routine that sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie, and an intensity level that’s borderline terrifying. No wonder he runs like a man possessed every Sunday.

Remember back in September when Henry and Jackson tag-teamed the Cowboys for a clutch Ravens 28-25 win? Henry ran for 151 yards and two TDs, while Jackson did his usual MVP magic. Yup, the same game that opened yet another chapter in Jerry Jones’ playbook of ‘What Ifs & Almosts’ as he later admitted, they couldn’t afford Henry. Yeah, no kidding, Jerry… sigh.

Now, as the Bills and Ravens prepare to clash, Miller sums it up perfectly. “They’re hot, we’re hot, and this is what the divisional round is all about.” Do you feel that? That’s the fire. And it’s about to ignite.

Von Miller knows a little ‘TWO’ much about Super Bowl

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson—rivals or kindred spirits? You decide. Sure, they’re ducking it out, but isn’t it wild how similar their journeys are? Neither has made it to the Super Bowl yet and at this point, we just can’t get tired of taking his name. Of course, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Combined, Allen and Jackson are 0-4 against KC in the playoffs. That just sums it up for almost most of the teams, if not all!

But here we are, and the chatter is deafening. Jackson’s chasing his third MVP, while Allen’s gunning for his first. Yet both quarterbacks want none of the drama. “In the history of football, I’ve never played against another quarterback,” Allen quipped, brushing off comparisons. Jackson? He’s more direct: “I’m trying to beat you. I’m not trying to be your friend.” Straight fire.