Well, that was ugly. I don’t know where to begin. I don’t even want to begin. I want to forget that disaster of an ending happened at all, but to grow and learn we must embrace the uncomfortable.
There is really only one place to start: the drops. How in the world can so many wide open players drop so many key passes in such a critical game, especially when they’ve proven to be fairly dependable to this point? What in the world? It wasn’t just the rookie Zay Flowers or the newcomer Nelson Agholor. Mark Andrews, off all people, wasn’t immune to the drops either.
And then, of course, Lamar broke down when the team needed him most. Last week’s loss to Pittsburgh felt like a 21-point loss in the playoffs, but it was a one-score loss in the regular season. For the second time in three weeks, the Ravens scored first, shut out their opponent in the first quarter, and still lost.
It gets worse. Against the Steelers, the Ravens ran the ball six times for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first 8:45 of the game. After that, they only rushed 19 times for 66 yards. I understand game flow can get away from you, but I also understand running the ball effectively is a great way to neutralize a pass rush.
Consider this: the loss to the Steelers was the first time in nine games, the Ravens were shutout in the second half. That just cannot happen. Ever.
Okay, enough of that. On to the Titans.
Tuesday morning the Ravens touched down in the UK. Wednesday morning, they took to the practice field on the grounds of the Tottenham Hotspur training facility. Jeff Zrebiec reported that both Morgan Moses and Patrick Mekari were back at practice for Baltimore. That’s great news, as the Ravens can use all the help they can get on the offensive front.
Defensively, however, is how this game figures to be won (or lost). The Ravens currently rank 3rd in yards allowed per game, 2nd in sacks, and 1st in opposing quarterback rating. They are set to face the historically great running back-wide receiver tandem of Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins. Both players are the highest active players on their respective all-time yards list.
Think about that. You thought Jaylen Warren and Geore Pickens gave the Ravens trouble last week? Just wait for this 1-2 punch. Henry is only 1,337 rushing yards away from 10,000. Hopkins just passed the great Calvin Johnson in career receiving yards.
Both the Ravens and the Titans have alternated wins and losses for the last four weeks. Both are being put at a disadvantage of sorts, having to travel to another continent to play a game. Their records are only one game apart.
Despite the similarities, there are three matchups in which I believe the Ravens hold an advantage:
- Lamar Jackson vs. Ryan Tannehill
- There’s no question who has more talent, but that almost doesn’t matter if Jackson is going to lose his composure in key moments like he did last week at Pittsburgh. If he can stay the course emotionally, I think the Ravens will cruise. If not, it will be an ugly day at the office for Baltimore.
- Jackson has completed 10 more passes than Tannehill on one more attempt and thrown for pretty close to the same amount of yards in 2023. The difference, though, is that Jackson’s TD/INT ratio is 2:1, whereas Tannehill’s is .4:1. The Ravens are favored by four points, so clearly this is headed toward being another close game. If that’s the case, scoring and preventing turnovers will become all the more important.
- Here are the quarterbacks stats against the team they’re facing this Sunday, rushing touchdowns and playoffs included:
- Lamar Jackson: .75:1 TD/turnover ratio (3:4)
- Ryan Tannehill: 2:1 TD/turnover ratio (10:5)
- Tyler Linderbaum vs. Jeffery Simmons
- For a matchup between two such impactful players, their form has dipped below the level they’re used to this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Linderbaum has a current grade of 74.7, while Simmons has a grade of 60.9.
- Since 2021, Simmons has recorded 18.5 sacks (as an interior defensive lineman, no less), but so far this season, the 2-time Pro Bowler has only nine solo tackles in his five starts.
- Linderbaum has played pretty well, but that botched snap last week at Pittsburgh was really bad. That said, he’s one of the better offensive linemen in the league. The Ravens will obviously want to establish the run, so if Linderbaum can get a stalemate against Simmons, that will be a victory in my book.
- Linderbaum has yet to allow a sack this season, so if he can maintain that claim after this week, I imagine the Ravens will have had a strong performance.
- Roquan Smith vs. Derrick Henry
- Roquan Smith is 3rd in the league in tackles and Derrick Henry is 11th in the league in rushing yards. Like last week, this is a game in which stats alone, while impressive, won’t do the trick. Sometimes, you just need to buckle your chin strap and be the tougher man. That’s pretty much always the case, but you get the point.
- Football purists will enjoy this battle. It reminds me of the days when Ray Lewis and Eddie George squared off.
I’m predicting a 21-16 Ravens win this weekend. I’m also predicting the following fantasy football outputs from these key players:
Lamar Jackson: 18/31, 175 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 6 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD (19.4 fantasy points)
Justice Hill: 8 carries, 66 yards; 4 receptions 25 yards, 1 TD (15.1 fantasy points)
Derrick Henry: 21 carries, 121 yards; 2 receptions, 10 yards (13.1 fantasy points)
Deandre Hopkins: 7 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD (15.5 fantasy points)
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.