Titans fall to Ravens in AFC wild-card game
The Titans failed to capture their first home playoff win since 2003, losing 2013 to the Ravens in an AFC wild card game Sunday.
It's old hat in this Titans-ravens series, where the road team has gone 5-0 in the playoffs.
The Titans (11-6) squandered a 10-0 lead en route to the loss. The Ravens (12-5) stretched their winning streak to six games, heading into a divisional round game against either the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills.
Here are five observations from the Titans' playoff loss:
Titans' last gasp was awkward
True to form for most of the game, the Titans offense looked out of sync in its final real chance to win or tie the game. Trailing 20-13 with 2 minutes remaining, Ryan Tannehill tossed a pass to wide receiver Kalif Raymond on a second-and-5 play from the Titans 37-yard line.
Raymond fell down just before the ball arrived, and it was intercepted by cornerback Marcus Peters, who celebrated with teammates by scuffing up the Titans' midfield logo. From there, the Ravens ran out the clock to clinch the win.
Derrick Henry was bottled up by Ravens defense
Derrick Henry's record-breaking regular season hit a wall in the playoffs. The Ravens bottled up the back-to-back NFL rushing leader for a season-low 40 yards on 18 carries.
There was little daylight from the outset, and it never got much better. Henry rushed for 18 yards on 10 carries in the first half, which yielded a 10-10 tie. He had only 11 yards on four carries in the third quarter, as the Titans fell behind.
It was a disappointing performance for Henry, who rushed for 2,027 yards in the regular season – a franchise record and the fifth-most in NFL history. But it actually wasn't Henry's worst playoff game. He had 28 yards in a 35-14 loss to the Patriots on Jan. 13, 2018.
Home is still unsweet in playoffs
The Titans have not won a home playoff game since Jan. 11, 2003, when they beat the Steelers 34-31 in overtime in the divisional round. Tennessee is now 2-3 in home playoff games, with all three losses coming to the Ravens.
This was the Titans' first home playoff game since losing to the Ravens on Jan. 10, 2009. The road team has won all five playoff games in this series. The Titans won in Baltimore in the 2004 and 2020 playoffs. The Ravens beat the Titans in Nashville in the 2001 and 2009 playoffs.
Attendance was very limited at Nissan Stadium because of COVID-19 protocols. Announced attendance was only 14,029.
Titans offense didn't look like a record-breaking unit
The Titans' record-breaking offense went stagnant after a strong start. In its first three possessions, it reeled off a 75yard touchdown drive and 45-yard field-goal drive for a 10-0 lead. Then things grinded to a halt, as the Ravens scored 17 unanswered points.
Henry was stopped. Tannehill was pressured. And third-down plays were short. The Titans gained only 13 yards on their next 13 plays in three short possessions that ended in punts. They didn't regain any traction until a 51-yard drive, capped by Stephen Gostkowski's 25-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter.
The Titans finished with only 209 yards of total offense, including 120 yards on just two drives in the first quarter. Tannehill was 18-of-26 passing for 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Stephen Gostkowski makes move in NFL record book
Gostkowski returned from the Reserve/covid-19 list and showed no weaknesses from his time off. In fact, he moved up in the NFL record book in his first playoff game with the Titans.
Gostkowski made a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 25-yard field goal in the fourth. That broke a tie with David Akers for second place in made field goals in NFL postseason history.
Gostkowski, already the all-time leader in postseason PATS, now has 41 field goals in the postseason in his career. He trails only Adam Vinatieri, who made 56 field goals in his postseason career.
Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.