The Tennessee Titans travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to take on the Ravens in this AFC Divisional Round matchup.
The Titans come in after upsetting the Patriots in Foxborough in last Saturday’s AFC Wild Card round nightcap. Meanwhile, the Ravens come in after claiming the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the AFC.
Derrick Henry tallied 182 rushing yards against the Patriots last week by running all over one of the stingiest defenses in the league. He also had a 22-yard catch-and-run in the waning moments of the first half, setting up a go-ahead score that proved to be crucial. This goes to show that even when you know what is coming, you still have to stop it. New England couldn’t.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggled at times in his postseason debut and the Titans’ receivers didn’t have much of an impact.
The Titans’ defense, with the exception of a couple chunk plays and a Julian Edelman run that fooled them, stood tall against Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense.
As for head coach Mike Vrabel, he beat his former coach in Bill Belichick and his former team while using a trick or two he learned from Belichick by legally manipulating the clock.
Titans’ Keys to the Game
- Pressure Jackson
The front seven need to get in the face of Lamar Jackson and keep him contained, which has been proven easier said than done.
- Stick with what works
Keep giving the ball to Henry. The need to make the Ravens’ defense prove they can stop him, something few teams have done.
- Score early (preferably touchdowns)
Most of the Ravens’ key starters sat out the meaningless Week 17 game against the Steelers. Add that to the bye week and Lamar Jackson and co. may come out just a hair out of sync. So, if the Titans’ first drive can result in points, it could set the tone for the game.
Game Info
Date: Jan. 11, 2020
Start time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Location: Baltimore, Md.
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ravens -9
Over/Under: 47.5
The Titans are nine-point underdogs on the road.
Prediction
The Ravens, much like the Patriots, will have trouble slowing down Derrick Henry, following the path of nearly every other team that has been forced to put up with the league’s best running back.
Unlike last week, Ryan Tannehill is going to have to make more plays this time around. A.J. Brown will be more involved this week.
Defensively, the Titans will not be able to stop Lamar Jackson, but they will be able to slow him down just enough.
The Titans will come out ahead again pull out a narrow victory on the road in a hostile environment, punching their ticket to the AFC Championship against either the Chiefs, whom they defeated in the regular season, or their AFC South division rivals in the Texans, whom they split their two matchups with this season.
Final score: Titans 31, Ravens 24
