The Ravens are still smarting from last season’s unexpected playoff loss and their mistake-filled loss at New England last Sunday night. Baltimore will be highly motivated to grab a win.
WHAT: Week 11, Game Ten vs. Tennessee Titans
WHEN: 1 p.m. (ET); Sunday, November 22
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore (70,745)
RECORDS: Titans, 6-3; Ravens, 6-3
LIFETIME SERIES (regular season): Tied, 10-10. The Titans are one of four teams tied all-time with the Ravens, but Tennessee has won four of the last seven regular-season games. They haven’t met in-season since 2018 when the Ravens racked up a single-game team-record 11 sacks and won at Nashville, 21-0. In Baltimore, the Ravens are 5-4 against Tennessee but haven’t played them in a regular-season home game since 2014. The teams have split four postseason meetings, with the road team winning every game.
LOCAL TV & RADIO: WJZ-TV, Channel 13, WIYY-FM, 97.9
REFEREE: Alex Kemp
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). Bud Adams owned the team until his death. Now, it’s run by his daughter, Amy Adams Smith. Bud Adams’ was one of the so-called “Foolish Club,” a group of owners whose venture into the startup 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. They were placed in the AFC Central and then, in 2002, realigned into the newly-created AFC South.
–The Oilers stayed in Houston until the end of the 1996 season. 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, which has undergone several name changes due to sponsorship upheaval, was finally ready in 1999 when they officially changed their name to the Titans.
–The Oilers/Titans franchise has now competed for 60 seasons and has accumulated a total of 23 playoff berths, including nine division titles and 14 wild-card berths. The total ties the Miami Dolphins for the tenth-most playoff berths in league history. The Oilers won the first two AFL championships, in 1960 and 1961, but have appeared in just one Super Bowl as a franchise–as the Titans in 1999, narrowly losing Super Bowl 34 to the then-St. Louis Rams.
–All told, the Oilers/Titans are 3-6 in AFL and AFC Championship Games, including last year’s loss in Kansas City against the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs. 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 the Colts’ final game there, a 20-10 Colts win in the 1983 season finale. And at one point, the Oilers lost 13 consecutive regular-season games in the early 70s–a streak they broke in Baltimore in 1973. The Colts got a measure of revenge three years later by blowing out the visiting Oilers on Monday Night Football.
–The Ravens actually played 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–still the smallest non-COVID crowd in history to see any game involving the Ravens. But sparks flew once the Titans took hold in Nashville. The Ravens were the first visitors to win at the new stadium 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 and, again, in last year’s Divisional round.
–The dead-even nature of the Ravens-Titans series is reflected in the closeness of the games–a trait that could remind any observer of Baltimore’s battles with Pittsburgh. In the 24 Ravens-Titans games (including playoffs), 14 of them have been decided by one score, while 11 have had final margins of three or fewer points. The Ravens have averaged 18.3 points per game in the series, while Tennessee has averaged 16.3. Baltimore has averaged 307 yards per game against Tennessee, while the Titans’ offense has put up nearly 300 yards per game against the Ravens.
–The Titans are one of four teams tied with the Ravens in the all-time regular-season head-to-head series. The Ravens and Titans have played 20 times, with each team winning ten.
–Nashville’s Nissan Coliseum is one of five recently-built stadiums where the Ravens were the first visitors to win. The other four are FedEx Field in Landover, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, MetLife Field in New Jersey, and the new Mile High facility in Denver.
–The Titans began the 2020 season by winning five straight games but have lost three of their last four contests. Now they will embark on a season-ending stretch that will see it play five road games in a seven-week span, starting with Sunday’s game at Baltimore. The other stops on the trip include Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Green Bay, and Houston.
–For the 2020 Titans, winning and losing margins are imbalanced. Five of the Titans’ six wins have been by seven points or less, but only one of their three losses have been that close.
–The Titans have only scored 14 more points than they have given up this year through their first nine games and have been outscored in the crucial fourth quarter, 83-74. Their games have been mostly aerial circuses, as they have both scored and allowed 20 passing touchdowns. Tennessee has played teams evenly most of the time, scoring 31 touchdowns and allowing 30, gaining 5.9 yards per play and allowing 5.8. But, despite a strong running game and converting 45 percent of its third-down plays, the Titans are averaging just under 28 minutes of possession per game–one of the league’s lowest rates. Tennessee has profited from opponent’s defensive mistakes, accumulating 22 first downs via penalty. The balance is rather good, as the Titans have run the ball 278 times and attempted to pass it on 295 occasions (including 13 sacks allowed).
–The Titans finished the 2019 regular season with a modest plus-6 turnover ratio, the league’s ninth-best. This year, they are the league’s best, with a plus-10 ratio through nine games. Tennessee has only fumbled four times, losing just one, with that coming from quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Titans’ four total giveaways are the league’s second-fewest behind Green Bay’s three. The defense is second in league with 16 forced fumbles (Baltimore has 17 through nine games), but it has only managed to recover five of those fumbles. The area in which the team has really bolstered its ratio is through the nine interceptions its defense has recorded. Safety Amani Hooker and corner Malcolm Butler have two pickoffs each. Towson graduate Tye Smith ran one back after having it pitched to him.
–On the penalty front, Tennessee has committed 230 accepted penalties since the beginning of 2018, the second-lowest total in the league to New England. This year, they have committed 49 infractions, approximately in the middle of the league pack and ten fewer than Baltimore’s total. The Titans have committed nine false starts and seven holds but have not drawn one flag for illegal contact. Individually, five Titans each have more than two penalties, with guard Nate Davis and inside linebacker Rashaan Evans drawing a co-team-high four apiece.
–After nine games, Tennessee is ranked 11th in total offense (sixth rushing at 148.7 yards per game, 24th passing, tenth scoring at 27.7 points per game). Ironically, they have achieved this by averaging 27:52 of possession per game–the third-lowest figure in the league. Tennessee is converting third-down plays at a 44.8 percent rate (ninth) and is scoring red-zone touchdowns at a sparkling 76.4 percent pace (second). In goal-to-go situations, the Titans have scored touchdowns 95 percent of the time (first). Defensively, Tennessee currently ranks 25th overall (18th vs. rush, 28th vs. pass, 17th scoring) with the league’s second-worst third-down defense, allowing conversions 53.2 percent of the time, and the fifth-worst red-zone unit (74.2 percent touchdowns allowed).
–Third-year head coach Mike Vrabel is the 19th head coach in the franchise’s history and has guided the team to a pair of 9-7 records. Vrabel is 24-17 in regular-season games and 2-1 in postseason play. He is the sixth coach in franchise history to have the team in playoffs in his first two years on the job. Vrabel 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 played in Kansas City. At Ohio State University, he was a two-time All-Conference and All-America pick as a defensive lineman.
–Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is in his first full season as Tennessee’s starter. He replaced Marcus Mariota last year. This season, he has completed 64.8 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns, three interceptions, and 12 sacks for a 106.9 rating. In four career regular-season games against Baltimore, Tannehill has completed 62 percent 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, but when the Titans upset the Ravens in the playoffs last year when he played to a 109.5 rating. In 2013 as a Miami Dolphin, Tannehill threw for 307 yards against Baltimore.
–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 already has 946 yards (second-most in the league), a 4.7-yard average, and eight touchdowns, including a 94-yard run. He was the NFL’s rushing champion in 2019 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 last year and, at age 26, should be only nearing his peak. Henry has a wicked stiff-arm move, to which ex-Baltimore safety Earl Thomas, Buffalo’s Josh Norman, and even 315-pound Indianapolis nose tackle Grover Stewart can attest. In last year’s Divisional playoff upset of Baltimore, Henry had 30 carries for 195 yards, setting a record as the best single-game opponent rushing performance Baltimore has ever allowed. He broke Terrell Davis’ 194-yard effort over the Ravens in 1996.
–The Titans have built a formidable receiving corps through the draft. Second-year receiver AJ Brown was taken in the second round (51st overall) from Mississippi. Brown led the team last year with 52 receptions and six touchdowns for over a 20-yard average, and he is second this season with 32 grabs, a 15-yard average, and six touchdowns, including a 73-yard play. Corey Davis, taken with the fifth overall pick in 2017 from Western Michigan, has a team-high 34 catches for a 12.8-yard average and three scores. He scored at Baltimore in last year’s Divisional playoff game. The other pass-catching targets include sixth-year receiver Adam Humphries, who is in his second season with the Titans. He has 22 catches and two scores. Jonnu Smith, a third-round pick in 2017 (100th overall), leads the tight ends with 26 catches, six touchdowns, and a 12-yard average. He scored against the Ravens in the playoffs last year. Anthony Firkser has 25 receptions and one score, while Greg Swaim is mostly a blocking tight end. Henry has contributed 11 receptions out of the backfield, and return specialist Kalif Raymond, who caught a 45-yard touchdown at Baltimore in last year’s Divisional playoff game, has nine catches.
–The Titans’ offensive line is similar to Baltimore’s in that it is an excellent run-blocking unit. This year, it has improved as far as protecting the passer, allowing only 13 sacks through nine games after yielding 56 last year. That’s an outstanding showing, considering veteran left tackle Taylor Lewan (torn ACL) is out, and right tackle Jack Conklin had his fifth-year option declined and signed with Cleveland. Former Denver Bronco left-sider Ty Sambrailo is in for Lewan, while nine-year NFL veteran Dennis Kelly takes over on the right. Rodger Saffold, the left guard, has spent most of his career with the Rams, and right guard Nate Davis is a second-year third-round pick from Charlotte (82nd overall). At center, Ben Jones is another valuable, experienced piece of the line. He is in his ninth NFL year from Georgia.
–Anchoring the nose in the Titans’ 3-4 scheme is seventh-year Penn State product and fourth-round pick DaQuan Jones, a big and versatile player. Jones, who has 31 tackles and two sacks (one of which came last week), is flanked on one side by Jeffery Simmons, a second-year player from Morehead State taken with the 19th overall pick. Simmons has 30 tackles, two sacks, nine quarterback hits, and a pair of fumble recoveries. Nine-year Penn State alum Jack Crawford also sees lots of playing time. He is on his fourth NFL team, having played previously with Oakland, Dallas, and Atlanta.
–When the Titans let the contract of 12-year veteran Wesley Woodyard expire, they had to fill an outside rush spot with someone younger. So they acquired former Seattle and Houston veteran Jadaveon Clowney, the 2014 top overall pick by the Texans, who sometimes plays defensive end. Clowney has 19 tackles and six quarterback hits, but as a symptom of a team with only ten sacks, he has no quarterback takedowns. In Clowney’s only career game against the Ravens (2017), he recorded a sack.
–The other three linebackers have started every game together. They include outside man Harold Landry (40 tackles, team-high 2.5 sacks, 11 hits, five breakups), and inside players Rashaan Evans (52 tackles), and Jayon Brown, the team’s leading tackler with 73 stops. Brown has also contributed eight pass breakups, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
–The Titans secondary has come together around a pair of veteran safeties that has started every game this season. Kenny Vaccaro is a former New Orleans first-round pick in his third year in Tennessee and eighth in the league. He had seven tackles and intercepted Lamar Jackson in last year’s Divisional playoff game. This year, Vaccaro has 56 tackles, third-most on the team. Kevin Byard, who had a team-high ten tackles in Indianapolis last week, picked off two passes against Baltimore in a regular-season meeting three years ago (he has four-lifetime INTs against the Ravens), and he tied for the NFL lead that year with eight pickoffs. His 46 tackles have him right behind Vaccaro for fourth-best on the squad. Byard also had ten total takeaways in 2017 and recorded a season-high ten tackles against Indianapolis last week.
–-At corner, Malcolm Butler and Desmond King are a formidable cover pair. Butler has ten pass breakups, two of the team’s nine interceptions, and 53 tackles, which is second-most on the team. King takes over the spot vacated when Johnathan Joseph, who had five career pickoffs against Baltimore, was traded to Arizona. As a Los Angeles Charger two years ago, King ran back a kickoff 72 yards in the playoff game at Baltimore and also recorded a sack.
–The Ravens and Titans are opposites when it comes to placekicking and punting stability. In 2019, Tennessee employed five kickers combined for a co-league-low eight field goals, those coming in 18 tries. The incumbent is former New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski, a former teammate of head coach Mike Vrabel. Gostkowski has won three Super Bowls and been to four Pro Bowls, along with being named to a pair of All-Pro teams. This year, he is 12-for-20 on field goals (the 60 percent rate is the league’s lowest) and has missed two conversions. Against the Ravens, Gostkowski is 12-for-12 on field goals and 20-for-20 on extra points. Punter Brett Kern, a multi-time Pro Bowl pick, is on temporary injured reserve with a wrist injury. He has been supplanted by Trevor Daniel, who’s on his third NFL team (Houston, Denver). Daniel joined the Titans just before its most recent game against the Colts. He net-averaged 21 yards on two punts in that game and had one blocked/run back for a touchdown. The team has also deployed seven-year vet Ryan Allen at punter.
–Backup receiver Kalif Raymond, in his fourth NFL season from Holy Cross, is the primary kick and punt return, specialist. Raymond is quite adventurous. He has called for only five fair catches in 22 punts aimed in his direction. But he is averaging only 8.4 yards per punt return and 18.3 yards per attempt on kickoff runbacks with no return longer than 30 yards. The Titans’ coverage teams haven’t done a good job covering punts (11.6-yard average allowed) but are faring pretty well on kickoffs (20.8).
Prediction
After a 5-0 start, the Titans have lost three of their last four games, and they were embarrassed at home last week by an Indianapolis squad that was coming off a lackluster performance the previous week against the Ravens. On Sunday in Baltimore, Tennessee, begins a season-ending stretch of five road games in seven weeks to make matters more challenging.
Those circumstances don’t bode well when you’re up against an opponent still smarting from last season’s unexpected playoff loss and upset with its mistake-filled and injury-riddled loss at New England. The Ravens will be highly motivated to grab a win.
Baltimore 30, Tennessee 20
