Why a fast start for the Baltimore Ravens could sink the Titans

The story of the Tennessee Titans is all about points. They have a hard time scoring them, and so do their opponents. The Ravens need to put the game out of reach early

The Baltimore Ravens have to get off to a fast start against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans like to win in a way that should be very familiar to Baltimore, they like to win ugly. The Titans put up an average of 17.4 points per game. Luckily for head coach, Mike Vrabel, the Titans defense allows just 17.2 points per game. If the Titans can make this an ugly smash mouth kind of game, they have a real shot at taking the Ravens down.

The Ravens have the best scoring defense in the NFL, giving up just 15.1 points per game. The flashy stat that you’ve probably heard by now, is that the Ravens haven’t given up a second half touchdown this season. While the Browns got a lot of yards against the Ravens formidable defense, points were hard to come by. If the Ravens offense didn’t shoot itself in the foot on a regular basis, the Ravens could have blown out the Browns. That would have been much nicer than the 12-9 loss.

Before the game in Cleveland, Baltimore hadn’t scored less than 23 points in a game. If the Ravens score over 20 points against the Titans, that should be enough for the victory. The Titans have reached 20 points or more three times this season. They also have had a game with a total of 13 points and a game with just nine points. The Titans are coming off of a 13-12 loss against the Bills, a clear sign that the offense is not right in Tennessee.

This game can go one of two ways. Either the Ravens offense from the first four weeks of the season shows up to blowout the Titans, or the Titans and Ravens play an ugly toss up. The choice is entirely up to the Ravens. Don’t get me wrong the Titans defense is legitimately good. It may even be the best defense the Ravens have faced this season. However the Ravens have shown that the only thing that really stops their offense are mistakes of their own doing.

Don Martindale has been a huge upgrade at defensive coordinator. With the Ravens defense playing the way it has, Joe Flacco just needs to have a decent game for a win. The Ravens have had one of the best passing attacks in the NFL this season. They rank eighth in passing yards per game, which is something that didn’t seem possible last season. If the good Ravens show up, they have more fire power and they will win the game. There are two good defenses in this game, but the Ravens unquestionably have the more productive offense.

This is a must win game for the Baltimore Ravens. The schedule isn’t getting any easier any time soon. The Ravens have to play effectively on offense. They have to avoid the costly mistakes that plagued them in Cleveland. They have to get on the board early and often and make the Titans play catch up. If they don’t we could be heading for another frustrating week with the sour taste of defeat. Joe Flacco has to show up and his receivers better catch the football.