Ravens, Titans bring Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, bitter histories to showdown
By Joe Rexrode and Jeff Zrebiec Jan 5, 2021
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Ruining a day or night for the home fans is what the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans do to each other in the playoffs, over and over, dating back to Jan. 7, 2001, when Ray Lewis and the No. 4 seed Baltimore Ravens beat Steve McNair and the No. 1 seed, Super Bowl-favored Titans 24-10 in Nashville — on the way to a title for one of the most dominant defenses the NFL has seen.
Twenty years and three days later, the home team will try for its first win in five tries in this playoff rivalry when the No. 4 seed Titans host the No. 5 seed Ravens at Nissan Stadium. No outcome would be shocking, nothing like a year ago when Derrick Henry and the No. 6 seed Titans ambushed the No. 1 seed Ravens in the divisional round in Baltimore, 28-12, on the way to a loss at Kansas City in the AFC Championship game. These teams are tied 2-2 in playoff games, but it’s the Ravens’ turn for revenge, because of last year and because of a 30-24 comeback, overtime win for the Titans on Nov. 22 in Baltimore that launched them toward their first AFC South title since 2008. (That 2008 division title was directly followed, of course, by the No. 6 seed Ravens scoring a 13-10 shocker in Nashville over the 13-3, No. 1 seed Titans.)
How will this one go? The Athletic Ravens writer Jeff Zrebiec and Nashville columnist Joe Rexrode are here to get you ready for it and give their predictions.
How have these teams changed since the first meeting?
Rexrode: The Titans have actually been quite erratic since that day, doing enough to win the AFC South and get this game at home, the most impressive moment being a 45-26 rout at Indianapolis a week after winning in Baltimore. The week after that, they were down 38-7 at the half, at home, to Cleveland. And they mixed in a 40-14 loss at Green Bay among wins over Jacksonville, Detroit and Houston. The Titans lost starting linebacker Jayon Brown on a cut block by Ben Powers in Baltimore, a play Brown later declared dirty in an interview with Barstool Sports, and David Long Jr. has been an active — if imperfect — replacement. The big addition for Tennessee is No. 1 cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who had not yet made his season debut at that point because of a knee injury. He has played three games now and has yet to look like his best self. The Titans didn’t have their best run blocker, left guard Rodger Saffold, in Baltimore, and he left Sunday’s win at Houston with an ankle injury. Getting him back is crucial now that Baltimore has key bodies up front that it didn’t have in the first meeting.
Zrebiec: The morning after that loss to Tennessee, the Ravens had multiple positive COVID-19 tests and that was the start of the biggest outbreak in the NFL this year. The Ravens had up to 23 guys on the Reserve/COVID-19 list at one point and at least one positive test for 10 straight days. They wound up sending a team composed largely of backups and practice squad players to face the then-undefeated Steelers in a thrice-postponed game and they predictably lost, but their effort while severely undermanned kind of galvanized the team. They’re 5-0 since and they look much closer to the team that they were last year. Lamar Jackson is playing much looser and he’s been more aggressive using his legs rather than forcing the ball downfield. The offensive line has stabilized somewhat and offensive coordinator Greg Roman has reworked some of the run schemes, where the Ravens are attacking the edges more with Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Defensively, the Ravens have gotten healthier in recent weeks. Their top two interior run stuffers, Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams, are both expected to play Sunday.
How much does psychology play into this game? Revenge for the Ravens, the pregame barking in Baltimore, the history of these franchises in the playoffs? Does any of it really matter?
Rexrode: I always struggle with the idea that revenge is more of a motivator than, you know, winning a playoff game. But I do buy the idea that it’s hard to have repeated success against a good team in a short period of time, and this would be a third win for the Titans in less than a calendar year over the Ravens. The long-ago history, that’s for the fans. And this obviously isn’t a role reversal from last season, when Baltimore was the dominant No. 1 seed and sat home during the first week of the playoffs. That was a “nothing to lose” night for the No. 6 seed Titans. In this case, we’re talking about a pretty even matchup on paper, and the Ravens are actually favored. As for the pregame barking, hopefully we’ll have more of it Sunday, and the cameras will no doubt carefully track the Mike Vrabel/John Harbaugh handshake situation after the game.
Zrebiec: Harbaugh on Monday claimed the recent history between the two teams has no bearing on Sunday’s game. I’m not sure I’m totally buying that. The Titans have bullied the Ravens on their home field the past two meetings — at least when it has counted — and that has to stick in Baltimore’s craw. The Ravens have had to listen for a year now about how their dream 2019 season ended at the hands of the Titans and November’s defeat only added to the pain. They’ll undoubtedly be fired up and focused, but they still have to tackle Derrick Henry. And on the other side, the Titans are still going to have to run down Lamar Jackson. It makes for an entertaining matchup and plenty of storylines, but all that stuff goes on the periphery when the game starts. The Ravens, a team that fancies itself as perennial Super Bowl contenders, haven’t won a playoff game since 2014. Jackson has listened for months about how he’s 0-2 in the playoffs and can’t win big games. Whether the Ravens were playing the Titans, Steelers, the Colts or the Buffalo Bills, there would be plenty of motivation.
Lamar Jackson (Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)
Which matchup could swing this game?
Rexrode: Run defense is obviously massive for both teams, considering the top two rushing offenses in the NFL are on the field, but let’s boil it down to Rashaan Evans and J.K. Dobbins. Evans is the Titans’ third-year box linebacker with all kinds of power and athleticism, but he has had a so-so season outside of some big goal-line plays. Dobbins got it going against the Titans in November and obviously has found his stride. The Titans have more than him to worry about and they need more than Evans to make plays. But it’s crucial that Evans makes a bunch of them, and that Dobbins doesn’t break free for big ones.
Zrebiec: There will be so much talk about whether the Ravens can stop Henry and whether the Titans can stop the Baltimore run game, and that’s where everything pretty much starts. However, I’ll highlight the matchup on the outside between Titans receivers Corey Davis and A.J. Brown and Ravens corners Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. In that November meeting, the Ravens actually did a solid job containing Henry for three quarters. However, Davis and Brown both hurt them, combining for nine catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. The strength of the Ravens’ defense is in their cornerback group. Davis and Brown will make plays, but the Ravens need Humphrey and Peters to make some, too.
Name an under-the-radar player to watch.
Rexrode: A late surge Sunday in Houston — four whole sacks! — pushed the Titans to 30th in the league with 19 on the season, which is still tied for worst ever for a team that qualified for the playoffs. And that’s part of why the Titans allowed 51.9 percent conversions on third down this season, the worst in NFL history (the league first started tracking that stat in 1991) and the only mark above 50 percent. But even a team with 19 sacks has to have a leader, and that guy is outside linebacker Harold Landry. He had 5.5 on the season, which includes a huge sack of Jackson in Baltimore to stymie the Ravens on their overtime possession. One thing Landry has done throughout his career is play hard, and he will be flying around Sunday.
Zrebiec: Ravens first-year starting safety DeShon Elliott put a nice pop on Henry in the first game, causing the Titans back to miss a few plays. Henry had the last laugh, but the Ravens will need Elliott to be a physical and reliable tackler Sunday and keep the ball in front of him. Elliott, who replaced Earl Thomas following the veteran’s late summer release, has had an uneven season. He’s been a step behind at times in pass coverage and he’s lamented his failure to make game-changing plays. Elliott is a hard-charging and emotional player who is learning on the job. If he plays within himself and is sound in coverage and physical as a tackler, it will be a huge boost to the Ravens defense.
What are the key injuries to track this week?
Rexrode: As previously mentioned, Saffold’s status is key, even though Aaron Brewer has done a solid job in his place. Plenty of other guys, such as A.J. Brown (ankle), are playing through injuries and taking practice time off for maintenance. But the Titans would get a nice boost if slot receiver Adam Humphries could return. Humphries, who was knocked out of a Nov. 1 loss at Cincinnati with a concussion and has played in just one game since, was eligible to return from IR last week but did not. He’s a terror off the line and a go-to guy for Tannehill on third-and-medium. The Titans have produced just fine without him, but a third receiver to take some of the load off Brown and Corey Davis could make a difference in this game.
Zrebiec: The Ravens are supposed to get punter Sam Koch back from the Reserve/COVID-19 list in time for the game. Things are less certain with wide receiver Willie Snead IV, center Patrick Mekari, outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Jimmy Smith. All are key players in their own right. Harbaugh has said that there’s a “good” chance that Ngakoue, who missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, and Smith, who has missed the past three games with myriad physical issues, return Sunday. They’d give defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale two more chess pieces to use. Snead (ankle) and Mekari (back) both missed the Ravens’ last game, but Harbaugh has said they won’t have extended absences. The Ravens also may have a decision to make at backup quarterback. They’ve been going with undrafted rookie Tyler Huntley as a practice squad elevation. However, more experienced backup options, Robert Griffin III (hamstring) and Trace McSorley (knee), are both eligible to come off IR if their health allows it.
Who wins and why?
Rexrode: I’ll take the Ravens, 34-31. Yes, they’ve been loading up on some bad teams down the stretch. But they’ve gotten healthier and they obviously have confidence and rhythm going. The Titans have done a terrific job in the past two meetings of containing the run game, getting short-yardage stops and keeping Jackson from killing them. The reality of this Tennessee defense suggests that isn’t happening a third time in a row. Neither defense is going to have a good day Sunday, but the Ravens get the ball last and get it to Justin Tucker for the field goal to advance.
Zrebiec: Ravens, 30-27. The Titans present matchup problems for the Ravens and that’s been evident in the past two meetings. It just feels like the Ravens are peaking and intent on making a statement. Jackson is playing much better than he did in November and the Ravens are running the football as well as they did at any point last season, when they set an NFL record. This game figures to go down to the end and I trust the Ravens defense and kicker more than their Tennessee counterparts.
(Photo of Derrick Henry: Nicole Fridling / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
By Joe Rexrode and Jeff Zrebiec Jan 5, 2021
Ruining a day or night for the home fans is what the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans do to each other in the playoffs, over and over, dating back to Jan. 7, 2001, when Ray Lewis and the No. 4 seed Baltimore Ravens beat Steve McNair and the No. 1 seed, Super Bowl-favored Titans 24-10 in Nashville — on the way to a title for one of the most dominant defenses the NFL has seen.
Twenty years and three days later, the home team will try for its first win in five tries in this playoff rivalry when the No. 4 seed Titans host the No. 5 seed Ravens at Nissan Stadium. No outcome would be shocking, nothing like a year ago when Derrick Henry and the No. 6 seed Titans ambushed the No. 1 seed Ravens in the divisional round in Baltimore, 28-12, on the way to a loss at Kansas City in the AFC Championship game. These teams are tied 2-2 in playoff games, but it’s the Ravens’ turn for revenge, because of last year and because of a 30-24 comeback, overtime win for the Titans on Nov. 22 in Baltimore that launched them toward their first AFC South title since 2008. (That 2008 division title was directly followed, of course, by the No. 6 seed Ravens scoring a 13-10 shocker in Nashville over the 13-3, No. 1 seed Titans.)
How will this one go? The Athletic Ravens writer Jeff Zrebiec and Nashville columnist Joe Rexrode are here to get you ready for it and give their predictions.
How have these teams changed since the first meeting?
Rexrode: The Titans have actually been quite erratic since that day, doing enough to win the AFC South and get this game at home, the most impressive moment being a 45-26 rout at Indianapolis a week after winning in Baltimore. The week after that, they were down 38-7 at the half, at home, to Cleveland. And they mixed in a 40-14 loss at Green Bay among wins over Jacksonville, Detroit and Houston. The Titans lost starting linebacker Jayon Brown on a cut block by Ben Powers in Baltimore, a play Brown later declared dirty in an interview with Barstool Sports, and David Long Jr. has been an active — if imperfect — replacement. The big addition for Tennessee is No. 1 cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who had not yet made his season debut at that point because of a knee injury. He has played three games now and has yet to look like his best self. The Titans didn’t have their best run blocker, left guard Rodger Saffold, in Baltimore, and he left Sunday’s win at Houston with an ankle injury. Getting him back is crucial now that Baltimore has key bodies up front that it didn’t have in the first meeting.
Zrebiec: The morning after that loss to Tennessee, the Ravens had multiple positive COVID-19 tests and that was the start of the biggest outbreak in the NFL this year. The Ravens had up to 23 guys on the Reserve/COVID-19 list at one point and at least one positive test for 10 straight days. They wound up sending a team composed largely of backups and practice squad players to face the then-undefeated Steelers in a thrice-postponed game and they predictably lost, but their effort while severely undermanned kind of galvanized the team. They’re 5-0 since and they look much closer to the team that they were last year. Lamar Jackson is playing much looser and he’s been more aggressive using his legs rather than forcing the ball downfield. The offensive line has stabilized somewhat and offensive coordinator Greg Roman has reworked some of the run schemes, where the Ravens are attacking the edges more with Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Defensively, the Ravens have gotten healthier in recent weeks. Their top two interior run stuffers, Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams, are both expected to play Sunday.
How much does psychology play into this game? Revenge for the Ravens, the pregame barking in Baltimore, the history of these franchises in the playoffs? Does any of it really matter?
Rexrode: I always struggle with the idea that revenge is more of a motivator than, you know, winning a playoff game. But I do buy the idea that it’s hard to have repeated success against a good team in a short period of time, and this would be a third win for the Titans in less than a calendar year over the Ravens. The long-ago history, that’s for the fans. And this obviously isn’t a role reversal from last season, when Baltimore was the dominant No. 1 seed and sat home during the first week of the playoffs. That was a “nothing to lose” night for the No. 6 seed Titans. In this case, we’re talking about a pretty even matchup on paper, and the Ravens are actually favored. As for the pregame barking, hopefully we’ll have more of it Sunday, and the cameras will no doubt carefully track the Mike Vrabel/John Harbaugh handshake situation after the game.
Zrebiec: Harbaugh on Monday claimed the recent history between the two teams has no bearing on Sunday’s game. I’m not sure I’m totally buying that. The Titans have bullied the Ravens on their home field the past two meetings — at least when it has counted — and that has to stick in Baltimore’s craw. The Ravens have had to listen for a year now about how their dream 2019 season ended at the hands of the Titans and November’s defeat only added to the pain. They’ll undoubtedly be fired up and focused, but they still have to tackle Derrick Henry. And on the other side, the Titans are still going to have to run down Lamar Jackson. It makes for an entertaining matchup and plenty of storylines, but all that stuff goes on the periphery when the game starts. The Ravens, a team that fancies itself as perennial Super Bowl contenders, haven’t won a playoff game since 2014. Jackson has listened for months about how he’s 0-2 in the playoffs and can’t win big games. Whether the Ravens were playing the Titans, Steelers, the Colts or the Buffalo Bills, there would be plenty of motivation.
Lamar Jackson (Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)
Which matchup could swing this game?
Rexrode: Run defense is obviously massive for both teams, considering the top two rushing offenses in the NFL are on the field, but let’s boil it down to Rashaan Evans and J.K. Dobbins. Evans is the Titans’ third-year box linebacker with all kinds of power and athleticism, but he has had a so-so season outside of some big goal-line plays. Dobbins got it going against the Titans in November and obviously has found his stride. The Titans have more than him to worry about and they need more than Evans to make plays. But it’s crucial that Evans makes a bunch of them, and that Dobbins doesn’t break free for big ones.
Zrebiec: There will be so much talk about whether the Ravens can stop Henry and whether the Titans can stop the Baltimore run game, and that’s where everything pretty much starts. However, I’ll highlight the matchup on the outside between Titans receivers Corey Davis and A.J. Brown and Ravens corners Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. In that November meeting, the Ravens actually did a solid job containing Henry for three quarters. However, Davis and Brown both hurt them, combining for nine catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. The strength of the Ravens’ defense is in their cornerback group. Davis and Brown will make plays, but the Ravens need Humphrey and Peters to make some, too.
Name an under-the-radar player to watch.
Rexrode: A late surge Sunday in Houston — four whole sacks! — pushed the Titans to 30th in the league with 19 on the season, which is still tied for worst ever for a team that qualified for the playoffs. And that’s part of why the Titans allowed 51.9 percent conversions on third down this season, the worst in NFL history (the league first started tracking that stat in 1991) and the only mark above 50 percent. But even a team with 19 sacks has to have a leader, and that guy is outside linebacker Harold Landry. He had 5.5 on the season, which includes a huge sack of Jackson in Baltimore to stymie the Ravens on their overtime possession. One thing Landry has done throughout his career is play hard, and he will be flying around Sunday.
Zrebiec: Ravens first-year starting safety DeShon Elliott put a nice pop on Henry in the first game, causing the Titans back to miss a few plays. Henry had the last laugh, but the Ravens will need Elliott to be a physical and reliable tackler Sunday and keep the ball in front of him. Elliott, who replaced Earl Thomas following the veteran’s late summer release, has had an uneven season. He’s been a step behind at times in pass coverage and he’s lamented his failure to make game-changing plays. Elliott is a hard-charging and emotional player who is learning on the job. If he plays within himself and is sound in coverage and physical as a tackler, it will be a huge boost to the Ravens defense.
What are the key injuries to track this week?
Rexrode: As previously mentioned, Saffold’s status is key, even though Aaron Brewer has done a solid job in his place. Plenty of other guys, such as A.J. Brown (ankle), are playing through injuries and taking practice time off for maintenance. But the Titans would get a nice boost if slot receiver Adam Humphries could return. Humphries, who was knocked out of a Nov. 1 loss at Cincinnati with a concussion and has played in just one game since, was eligible to return from IR last week but did not. He’s a terror off the line and a go-to guy for Tannehill on third-and-medium. The Titans have produced just fine without him, but a third receiver to take some of the load off Brown and Corey Davis could make a difference in this game.
Zrebiec: The Ravens are supposed to get punter Sam Koch back from the Reserve/COVID-19 list in time for the game. Things are less certain with wide receiver Willie Snead IV, center Patrick Mekari, outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Jimmy Smith. All are key players in their own right. Harbaugh has said that there’s a “good” chance that Ngakoue, who missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, and Smith, who has missed the past three games with myriad physical issues, return Sunday. They’d give defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale two more chess pieces to use. Snead (ankle) and Mekari (back) both missed the Ravens’ last game, but Harbaugh has said they won’t have extended absences. The Ravens also may have a decision to make at backup quarterback. They’ve been going with undrafted rookie Tyler Huntley as a practice squad elevation. However, more experienced backup options, Robert Griffin III (hamstring) and Trace McSorley (knee), are both eligible to come off IR if their health allows it.
Who wins and why?
Rexrode: I’ll take the Ravens, 34-31. Yes, they’ve been loading up on some bad teams down the stretch. But they’ve gotten healthier and they obviously have confidence and rhythm going. The Titans have done a terrific job in the past two meetings of containing the run game, getting short-yardage stops and keeping Jackson from killing them. The reality of this Tennessee defense suggests that isn’t happening a third time in a row. Neither defense is going to have a good day Sunday, but the Ravens get the ball last and get it to Justin Tucker for the field goal to advance.
Zrebiec: Ravens, 30-27. The Titans present matchup problems for the Ravens and that’s been evident in the past two meetings. It just feels like the Ravens are peaking and intent on making a statement. Jackson is playing much better than he did in November and the Ravens are running the football as well as they did at any point last season, when they set an NFL record. This game figures to go down to the end and I trust the Ravens defense and kicker more than their Tennessee counterparts.
(Photo of Derrick Henry: Nicole Fridling / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
