Titans strong pass defense will force Ravens to lean on running game
The Ravens will march to Music City to take on the Titans this Sunday, but the team must lean on their running game to walk out of Tennessee with a win.
If there has been any Achilles heal for the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, it’s been their inability to effectively and consistently run the football. Currently, Baltimore sits at just 25th in terms of rushing yards per game at 94.4-yards. The Ravens leading rusher through five games is Alex Collins with a whopping 217 rushing yards and a 3.8 YPC average. Among eligible runners (ten-or-more carries), only one Raven has above 4.0 YPC, Lamar Jackson. In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock, Jackson isn’t even a running back, he’s a quarterback. That’s not exactly ideal for your offense.
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Unfortunately for Baltimore, if they want to get back in the win column they better learn how to run the rock. This week’s upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans will provide Baltimore with a difficult task. Remember, the Titans took down the Ravens last season 23-20 in what ended up being a critical game for the teams’ respective playoff hopes. Tennessee would advance to the post-season, while Baltimore sat at home on their couch.
The Titans are hosting the no. 3 pass defense in the league, surrendering just 210.0 passing yards per game. First-year Head Coach Mike Vrabel has guided Tennessee to a 3-2 record, good enough to tie the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. This Titans team has a certain swagger they carry around with them that has made them a much tougher opponent than anyone would give them credit for. This game will be far from a cakewalk.
A true test for Ravens offensive identity:
It isn’t too surprising to see Tennessee’s secondary to be as strong as it is, considering their corner talent in guys like Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson coupled with All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. This spells trouble for Baltimore, who’s established an offensive identity via their passing attack.
Undoubtedly, the Ravens have found success behind the arm of Joe Flacco and his new weapons such as John Brown and Mark Andrews. Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has seemingly found a way to create a balanced offense to help Baltimore win games in 2018. The team has not scored a touchdown since the first quarter of Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers during week four, however. It’s more than fair to say this is disturbing and should create some (reasonable) panic among fans.
Offensive struggles to score points aside, Baltimore can win games behind the leg of Justin Tucker. To do this, all the Ravens have to do is move the ball efficiently and consistently to get within Tucker’s range to drill field goals. With the way the Ravens defense has been playing and how inconsistent the Titans offense has been, this formula could easily spell out a win for Baltimore.
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If the Ravens do want this win, it will have to be behind a power-run game. Of course, the team needs to remain balanced and not be afraid to push the ball through the air, but when you find a weakness, such as Tennessee’s 26th ranked rushing defense, you have to exploit it. Now is as good a week as ever for Baltimore’s run game to get back on track and straighten the team’s path back to the post-season.