Derrick Henry might be this team’s version of Eddie George, but Baltimore has more than one Ray Lewis to deal with him. With its multi-faceted and attacking defense, the Ravens should be able to slow down Henry and make Tannehill look like the average-at-best quarterback he was as a Miami Dolphin.
WHAT: American Football Conference Divisional Round vs. Tennessee Titans
WHEN: 8:15 p.m. (ET); Saturday, January 11
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore (71,008)
RECORDS: Titans, 9-7, second in AFC South, #6 seed; and Ravens, 14-2, AFC North champions, #1 seed
LIFETIME SERIES (postseason): Ravens lead, 2-1, but lost the teams’ only playoff meeting in Baltimore, a 2003 wild-card game, on a last-second field goal. The Ravens have won both postseason meetings in Nashville. In regular-season play, the teams are tied at ten wins apiece, with the Ravens holding a 5-4 edge in games played in Baltimore against the Oilers/Titans franchise.
TV: CBS with Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, booth; Evan Washburn, sidelines
RADIO: WestwoodOneSports.com with Brandon Gudin, Ross Tucker, booth; Laura Okmin, sidelines)
REFEREE: Bill Vinovich
With only four teams remaining in the AFC playoffs, the scenario is rather straightforward. If the top-seeded Ravens win, then they will host the winner of the game Sunday between #2-seed Kansas City and #4-seed Houston in Baltimore on January 19 at 3 p.m. on CBS.
If the Titans win, then they will travel to play the Houston-Kansas City winner for the 3 p.m. game on the 19th.
The AFC champion will be the designated home team in the Super Bowl and have jersey choice.
About the Titans
—The Tennessee Titans were born in 1960 as the Houston Oilers, one of the eight original members of the upstart American Football League (AFL). The team was owned by “Bud” Adams until his death and is now run by his daughter, Amy Adams Smith. Adams was one of the so-called “Foolish Club,” a group of owners whose venture into the start-up league was seen as a foolhardy venture. The Oilers were absorbed into the newly-formed AFC in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL merger and placed in the AFC Central.
—The Oilers stayed in Houston until the end of the 1996 season, after which they embarked on a rather long and winding road. In 1997, they settled in Memphis as the Tennessee Oilers and played in the Liberty Bowl. The following year, they hosted home games at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The team’s new stadium was finally ready in 1999 when they officially changed their name to the Titans.
—The Oilers/Titans franchise has now competed for 60 seasons, in which they have accumulated a total of 23 playoff berths, including nine division titles and 14 wild-card berths. The Oilers won the first two AFL championships in 1960 and 1961, but have appeared in just one Super Bowl as a franchise–that as the Titans in 1999, losing Super Bowl 34 to the then-St. Louis Rams.
—All told, the Oilers/Titans are 3-5 in AFL and AFC Championship Games. After the merger, the team played in the AFC Central Division until 2002 when it was realigned into the current AFC South. The Titans have made the playoffs in two of the last three years after not having appeared in the postseason since 2008.
—When the Baltimore Colts were part of the NFL, they split six games with the Oilers, posting a 2-2 mark in games played at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Oilers were the opponent for what turned out to be the Colts’ final game there–a 20-10 Colts win in the 1983 season finale. The Oilers at one point lost 13 consecutive regular-season games in the early 70s, a streak they broke in Baltimore in 1973. But the Colts got a measure of revenge three years later by blowing out the visiting Oilers on Monday Night Football.
—The Ravens got to play the old Oilers twice before they left Texas and morphed into the Titans. At first, the division rivalry wasn’t that intense. A Ravens’ blowout win at the Liberty Bowl in 1997 drew just over 17,000 fans, which is still the smallest crowd to see any game involving the Ravens. But once the Titans took hold in Nashville, the sparks flew. The Ravens were the first visitors to win in Nashville in both regular- and -postseason play, knocking the higher-seeded Titans out of the postseason twice on their home field. The Titans returned the favor in Baltimore in a 2003 wild-card game.
—Tennessee’s 2019 season was similar to what Baltimore went through the previous year, struggling early and rallying late. The Titans lost four of their first six games, including two by one-score margins. The Titans took advantage of a schedule that was home-heavy to go 7-3 down the stretch, including four straight wins at one point. They grabbed the sixth and final playoff seed with a week to go in the season, and then held on with a season-closing road win at Houston over a Texans team that was resting many of its top-line players.
—The Titans had one of the better-balanced offenses in the league this year, running the ball 445 times and attempting to pass it on 504 occasions, including sacks allowed. The problem was that the offensive line allowed a staggering 56 sacks over 16 games, an average of over four per contest. The defense tried to make up for that by getting 42 sacks from 15 different players.
—The Titans have been a second-half team all year. They start with negative point differentials in the first two quarters but then shift to a positive margin of 256-158 over the final two quarters. The Titans did not play an overtime game this year.
—The Titans finished the regular season with a modest plus-6 turnover ratio, the league’s ninth-best. The team recovered nine opponents’ fumbles and lost nine of their own, but their quarterbacks have only thrown eight interceptions all year, while the defense has picked off 14. According to STATS, INC., the Titans have been charged with 16 dropped passes, which is a bit below the middle of the 21-team NFL pack. No Titan has been charged with ore than four of those.
—On the penalty front, Tennessee committed 99 accepted penalties, one of only eight teams to commit fewer than 100 infractions. Tennessee has committed 22 false-start penalties, one of only a handful of teams to have 20 or more of those. The Titans also have nine defensive holding fouls and 12 for defensive pass interference. Individually, tackle Taylor Lewanleads, the team with ten penalties, including four false starts and five holds. Guard Nate Davis has sen total penalties, including five false starts.
—The Titans were not ranked very highly in most statistical categories until they went on their second-half winning tear. At the end of the regular season, Tennessee ranked 12th in total offense (third rushing, 21st passing) and averaged 25.1 points per game. Ironically, they achieved this by averaging just over 28 minutes per game, the fourth-lowest figure in the league (and with an average-at-best third-down pace). But the Titans scored red-zone touchdowns 75 percent of the time, which is the NFL’s best. Defensively, Tennessee ranked 21st overall (12th vs.rush, 24th vs. pass) and have allowed just over 20 points per game. They have the league’s second-worst red-zone defense but a top-ten unit on preventing third-down pickups.
—Second-year head coach Mike Vrabel is the 20th head coach in the franchise’s history and has guided the team to a pair of 9-7 records. He came to the Titans after serving as the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator. As an NFL linebacker, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, won three Super Bowls in New England, and also played in Kansas City. At Ohio State University, he was a two-time All-C0nference and All-America as a defensive lineman.
–Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was acquired in the offseason. He has played in 12 games this year, starting ten in place of former first-round pick Marcus Mariota, who now enters games in special situations. Tannehill had by far his best year in the NFL, completing over 70% of his passes with 22 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 117.5. In four career games against Baltimore, Tannehill has completed 62% of his passes with four touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of just over 80. Tannehill’s teams lost three of those four games.
—Baltimore has three Heisman Trophy winners on its roster, but the Titans’ ground attack is paced by one of its own, 2015 winner, Derrick Henry. Henry is the NFL’s rushing champion with 1540 yards, a 5.1 per-carry average, and 16 touchdowns. Henry produced all that despite missing one game. Henry also averaged 102 yards per game this year and, at age 35, should be nearing his peak. Henry burned New England in the Wild-Card game for 163 yards–the most rushing yards ever allowed by the Patriots in a postseason game. Henry has fumbled five times (losing three). He is backed up by Dion Lewis, who has 54 carries for just over 200 yards.
—The Titans have built a formidable receiving corps through the draft. Rookie AJ Bown was taken in the second round (51st overall) from Mississippi. The athletic pass-catcher was also taken in the 2016 baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. Brown led the team with 52 receptions and six touchdowns for over a 20-yard average. Corey Davis, taken with the fifth overall pick in 2017 from Western Michigan, has 43 catches for a 14-yard average, and a pair of scores. Adam Humphries, a Clemson product, caught 37 passes. Tajae Sharpe was taken in the fifth round in 2016 (140th overall). Jonnu Smith, a third-round pick in 2017 (100th overall), led the tight ends with 35 catches.
—The Titans’ offensive line is similar to Baltimore’s in that it is an excellent run-blocking unit, but can spring leaks when it comes to protecting the passer. Titan quarterbacks have been sacked 56 times this year despite veteran presences upfront. Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin are the tackles. Lewan was the 11teh overall pick from Michigan (2014). Conklin, a four-year veteran from Michigan State, was the eighth pick in 2016. Rodger Saffold, the left guard, has spent most of his career with the Rams. Right guard Nate Davis is a rookie third-round pick from Charlotte (82nd overall). Center Ben Jones, the most experienced on the line, is in his eighth NFL year from Georgia. He came to the Titans in 2016.
—Defensive coordinator Dean Pees deploys the same kind of 3-4 scheme with which he worked in Baltimore. Anchoring the nose is a sixth-year Penn State product and fourth-round pick DaQuan Jones, who is a big and versatile player. He is flanked by Jeffery Simmons, a rookie from Morehead State, who was taken with the 19th overall pick. Jurrell Casey is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game. Over Casey’s first eight seasons, he missed only three games and tied for fourth among all players at his position with 46 quarterback sacks–the same number as Ndamukong Suh. This year, the trio has combined for eight of the team’s 43 sacks with Casey getting five of those, as well as a pair of fumble recoveries, to be the team’s co-leader.
—One of the most steady veteran presences on the team–inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard–is in his 12th season in the league and sixth with the Titans. He is no longer listed as a starter because those roles now belong to outside linebackers Kamalei Correa (five sacks) and Harold Landry (two fumble recoveries), as well as inside players Rashaun Evans and Jayon Brown. A former Ravens’ draftee, Correa is in his fourth year in the league and second with the Titans after a preseason trade. Evans, Brown, and Landry are a respective second, third and sixth on the team in tackles. Landry leads the team with nine sacks.
—The Titans’ secondary has a corps of veteran playmakers that form a unit that, like Baltimore’s defensive backs, must be considered a strength of the team. Safeties Kenny Vaccaro is a former New Orleans first-round pick in his second year in Tennessee and seventh in the league. Kevin Byard picked off two passes against Baltimore in a regular-season meeting two years ago and tied for the NFL lead that year with eight pickoffs. His five of the team’s 14 pickoffs this year lead the team. Byard also had ten total takeaways in 2017. Byard and Vaccaro are a respective fourth and fifth on the team in tackles.
—At the corner is former New England Patriots’ free agent Logan Ryan. His four interceptions are second on the team, and he also has 4.5 sacks. He holds down one side and is the team’s leading tackler. Ryan sealed the Titans’ Wild Card weekend win over his former team with an interception return for a touchdown. On the other side is Andree Jackson, a former special teamer and return specialist, who was taken from Southern California with the 18th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
—The Ravens and Titans are as polar opposite as two teams can be when it comes to placekicking. Tennessee has employed five kickers this year who have combined for a co-league-low eight field goals on 18 tries. The incumbent is Greg Joseph, a second-year kicker from Florida Atlantic, who joined the team with two regular-season games remaining. Joseph also handles kickoff duties. Punting for the Titans is a stalwart veteran and multi-time Pro Bowl pick, Brett Kern, who has just two touchbacks and 37 coffin-corner kicks in almost 80 punts. He is grossing 47.1 yards per punt and netting 43.1.
—A pair of backup receivers, Adam Humphries and Kalif Raymond, respectively handle punt and kickoff returns. Humphries has more fair catches than returns on punts. Both returners have turned in rather average performances this year, as have the kick and punt coverage teams.
Prediction
The Titans deserve a lot of credit from recovering from a slow start to rallying for a playoff spot–they’re second playoff appearance in three years after a long absence. Then, they took advantage of a struggling New England offense to beat the SB defending champs in the Wild-Card round.
But Tennessee is not a ball-control team, and likely won’t be able to stem the tide of the Ravens’ rhythm-based run game and intermediate passing attack. Derrick Henry might be this team’s version of Eddie George, but Baltimore has more than one Ray Lewis to deal with him. With its multi-faceted and attacking defense, the Ravens should be able to slow down Henry and make Tannehill look like the average-at-best quarterback he was as a Miami Dolphin. On top of all that, the Ravens are a fast-starting team, while the Titans have a habit of getting out of the gate slowly.
Baltimore 31, Tennessee 16
