4 takeaways from Titans’ 28-12 win over Ravens

Here are five takeaways from the contest as the Titans prepare for their first AFC Championship appearance since 2002.

You almost get a sense that the Titans like being the underdogs at this point.

Tennessee has been counted out since the beginning of the postseason, including before they recorded a 20-13 road win over the New England Patriots.

Even after a dominant showing, no one saw the Titans embarrassing the Ravens in M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday the way they did on the 28-12 victory over what many considered to be the best team in the NFL.

Here are five takeaways from the contest as the Titans prepare for their first AFC Championship appearance since 2002.

1. The Titans’ defense managed to shut down the NFL’s best offense without key players.

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

No Cameron Wake. No Malcolm Butler. No Jayon Brown.

Those are big losses for the Titans that are further magnified in tough postseason matchups.

But Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Dean Pees concocted the perfect game plan against a Baltimore team that came into the game with a 14-2 overall record and an average of 33.2 points per game.

The Titans held them to 12, and capitalized on three takeaways.

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