The Baltimore Ravens have a battle with the Tennessee Titans lined up. Here are three bold predictions for the playoff game:
1. The Ravens put up 17 points in the first quarter:
I think the Ravens are a team on a mission. Their extra time to prepare will help the Ravens get off to a fast start. This is the type of game where the Ravens have so many incentives to get out to a fast start. The Titans are the road underdog playing a 14-2 team that has won 12 straight games. The tougher the game gets, the more the Titans will believe they can win. The closer the game is, the more the Titans can play to their strengths of running the football and creating plays with the play-action passing game. The Ravens will be aggressive on both sides of the ball from start to finish. If they have to go for it on a fourth down, John Harbaugh won’t hesitate. The big thing in this game is putting points on the board, and doing so quickly.
Lamar Jackson didn’t play the last two weeks of the preseason and he was able to throw for five touchdowns and a perfect passer rating against the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens put up 21 points in the first quarter of the regular season despite key starters skipping the last two games of the preseason entirely. Rust isn’t going to be a problem. After the Ravens bye week, the Ravens beat the New England Patriots 37-23 and got off to a quick 17-0 lead. If anything, it’s going to help him be more prepared for the playoff game.
Expect the Ravens home crowd to be as excited as the Ravens will be aggressive. The Titans are going to have a lot of pressure on them when the offense has the ball in the early portion of the game. If the Titans stall on an early drive or two it could allow the Ravens to build an early lead. Give me the Ravens 41-17, with 17 of the Ravens points coming in the first quarter.