Titans (6-3) at Ravens (6-3)
Sunday, 1 ET, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: Ravens by 6 1⁄
2
Titans’ keys to victory: They need to bully Baltimore. Tennessee should go heavy on offense to move the line of scrimmage with RB Derrick Henry pounding the ball while being aggressive defensively and hitting QB Lamar Jackson to the echo of the whistle. As the Titans proved at this stadium in the playoffs last season, the Ravens can be outmuscled and they struggle when tested early. It’s up to QB Ryan Tannehill to target the middle of the field with quick throws to take advantage of an inexperienced linebacker group and an injury-riddled secondary.
Ravens’ keys to victory: Baltimore needs to play its brand of football: not getting too cute offensively to outsmart their opponent, but just lining up and telling the offensive line to block guys into the stands while it leans on its stable of running backs. Jackson has to play smart football and can’t turn the ball over while trying to do too much. The Ravens’ defensive line has to limit Henry from getting to the second level, meaning they need to wrap up and make tackles.
Matchup to watch: Titans RB Henry vs. Ravens defensive front. Baltimore spent offseason dollars bolstering its run defense to stop teams from overpowering them. Derek Wolfe, Yannick Ngakoue, Patrick Queen and Matthew Judon are going to be counted on to elevate their play and limit Henry, but it’ll be a full-team affair. The winner of this battle likely dictates the winner of the game.
Who wins? Baltimore used free agency and trades to prepare for this exact matchup. Those additions make all the difference. Ravens 24-21