Baltimore Ravens’ Superb Defense Eliminates Tennessee Titans, 20-13

Baltimore Ravens’ superb defense was clinical in Nashville tonight, holding Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans to just 13 points. On the other side, the guests from Maryland scored 20, which was enough for them to win and even the score with the rival who eliminated them from the playoffs last year.

Back then, it was a stunning defeat for the Ravens, who were the no.1 candidate to win the trophy, and massive favorites before the match. It also threw a huge doubt on Lamar Jackson and his clutch abilities. All that is erased following tonight’s meeting.

With the reporters asking all sorts of questions about his game and him being under huge pressure, Jackson interrupted them on several occasions, suggesting that today wasn’t about him, but his team. He, too, was thrilled with the way the Ravens’ defense played, especially because it helped him cover up an early pick and Titas’ 10 point lead.

“They were tired of hearing the noise, you know. They did what they were supposed to do,” Jackson said. “They didn’t talk about it, they’ve been doing it the whole week in practice.”

Baltimore held Derrick Henry to 40 yards on 18 carries, which is something nobody did in a long time. One of few players in history with 2,000 yards in one season, was heavily frustrated during the match, and he couldn’t hide feelings on several occasions.

On the other side, the guests’ running game was fantastic, with 236 yards, 185 more than the Titans. More than half of those yards were Jackson’s. The young QB had 136 for one TD rush, 48 yards long.

His passing game wasn’t anywhere near, as he managed to throw 179 yards only to be intercepted once. Marquise Brown caught 109 yards, while JK Dobbins ran for 43, and one score.

The Titans had a chance to win the game, but Marcus Peters intercepted Tannehill’s pass with 1:50 to go, and sealed the Ravens’ win. According to Mike Vrabel, that pick was preceded by a penalty on his wide receiver, and he openly stated that.

“Clearly, these guys aren’t calling any penalties. They are just going to sit there for another week and see if they can officiate without calling any penalties.”

The Titans already defeated Baltimore this year, during the regular part of the season, 30-24 after OT at M&T Bank stadium. Before tonight’s match, they were favorites, but it seems that the pressure was something that worked to the Ravens’ advantage in this case.

"It's not about me and Derrick Henry. … It's about Ravens vs. Titans."

Lamar Jackson all about the team victory 💯 pic.twitter.com/7wRexGv8Ja

— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2021

Ryan Tannehill wasn’t even near his usual numbers, with one of the most productive and effective passers in the league throwing for just 165 yards. Tannehill threw 18-for-26, one TD toss and interception each. That one scoring pass ended up in AJ Brown’s arms. Tennessee’s WR had a team-high 83 receiving yards.

The Titans’ defense wasn’t bad at all, as they managed to sack Jackson five times. However, they couldn’t stop his scrambling, playing the price in the end.

For the franchise from Nashville, this is an extremely disappointing year. They opened it with high expectations, and even though Titans entered the playoffs, losing in the first round was way below planned.

As for the Ravens, they are waiting to see the name of the future opponent. If Steelers eliminate the Browns tonight, Baltimore will face the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead stadium. If it is the other way arround, the Ravens head for Buffalo.