Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens: 3 keys to victory
After a stunning upset of the New England Patriots, the Tennessee Titans will go to Charm City to take on the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s how the Ravens win.
A healthy dose of the run game:
This probably goes without saying, but the Baltimore Ravens must commit to their ground game to beat the Tennessee Titans.
In 2019, the Titans finished as the 12th ranked team against the run, surrendering 104.5 YPG. I don’t need to tell you that the Ravens rushing track is the best in NFL history, and even some of the finest run defenses in the league crumbled before Lamar Jackson and co.
Mark Ingram’s health is the biggest X-factor here, as he rushed for over 1,000-yards in 2019 and was perhaps the biggest contributor to the team’s success on the ground. If he’s good to go, Baltimore will roll.
Even if Ingram is good, the Ravens would perhaps be smart to keep him on a limited pitch-count and rely on Gus Edwards. Edwards punishing running style is reminiscent of Ingram’s and he proved as a rookie last year that he can handle a heavy load of carries.
Jackson will obviously run for his share of yards, too, and he likely will force Tennessee to slow him down as a runner and then beat them as a passer.
The bottom line here is that Baltimore doesn’t need to get fancy with their offense. Do what works best: run the ball down their throats.