The Baltimore Ravens are set to do battle with the Tennessee Titans. Here are three big things to think about:
1. Talking about the ground attacks:
One reason that this match up is so exciting is that both teams love to run the football. The Ravens have the best rushing attack in football averaging over 200 yards per game. The Titans have the third best rushing attack averaging 104.5 yards per game. Tennessee’s rushing totals being so much lower than Baltimore’s is an example of how historic the Ravens ground game is. Make no mistake about it, Derrick Henry is an amazing running back and the Titans run game is a very big challenge for the Ravens. If you were looking for a stat to keep track of in this game it’s the rushing totals of both teams.
The Ravens and the Titans need to have different goals for their rushing totals. Baltimore settles for 130 rushing yards on a bad day so they need to strive for 200 yards on the ground. If the Ravens get around that number on the ground they will be able to dictate that the game is played in their comfort zone and they will be able to hold the ball for big chunks at a time. The Titans on the other hand need to shoot for 125 rushing yards. It would be a little higher than their season average and it would help their offense stay away from negative situations. The biggest thing that the Titans need to beat Baltimore is Henry to have a big day. If he doesn’t the Titans don’t stand a chance in this battle.
With the Titans it’s all about stopping Henry when you’re talking about run defense. With the Ravens dealing with Mark Ingram II is just part of the equation. Lamar Jackson is good for 60-150 yards on the ground in any game. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill can have success in the run game as well. If the Titans bottle up Jackson (which seems unlikely) they may not be able to slow down the running backs. If they stop the running backs, Jackson will find a way to create rushing yards even if it’s on quarterback scrambles. The Ravens just have to be gap sound and bring the hammer defensively. The Titans may not be able to find an answer for the Baltimore run game, because no team really has this season.