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Observations from Titans’ 42-21 win over Raiders

Here are some quick observations we made throughout the game.

The Tennessee Titans (8-5) recorded their fourth straight victory as they came into Oakland and defeated the Raiders (6-7), 42-21.

The game was a shootout at first, tied 21-21 at halftime, but the defense came alive and the team was able to leave with a dominant victory.

The Titans look like a team that compete as they face the division rival Houston Texans in Nissan Stadium next week.

Here are some quick observations we made throughout the game.

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– The Raiders won the toss and elected to defer, allowing quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the offense the first go.

– Tannehill attempted a slant deep in Raiders territory, and was intercepted by Maurice Hurst. Tannehill tackles him at the Titans’ 24-yard line.

– It took the Raiders hardly an time at all to put a D’Andre Washington touchdown on the board. This marked Washington’s second touchdown of the season.

– Khari Blasingame made his first career catch, a 24-yarder, on a wheel route to bring the Titans to the Oakland 23. It wasn’t long after that Derrick Henry took a 12-yard touchdown in to make it 7-7 with 3:21 left to play in the first quarter.

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– The Titans got a stop on the Raiders on the following drive, leaving them punting.

-A.J. Brown caught a 91-yard playaction touchdown pass from Tannehill to give the Titans a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

– Carr hit Rico Gafford as the Titans got lost in man-to-man coverage, allowing them to tie the game up at 14-14.

– Tannehill connected with Anthony Firkser on what would have been a touchdown pass, but it was called back due to holding on offensive lineman Nate Davis.

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– Brown came up with his second touchdown of the day on a 16-yarder from Tannehill. He broke through three tackles as he drove his way into the end-zone.

– The Titans were nearly able to prevent a Raiders touchdown at the bottom of second quarter, but the defense gave way and allowed a touchdown reception by tight end Foster Moreau. The game was tied at 21-21 soon before halftime.

– Ryan Succop tried for a 42-yard field goal just before the half, but it hit the goalpost.

– After leaving the game at the two minute warning, Henry came out with the team in the second half.

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– Safety Kenny Vaccaro left the game with a concussion as Amani Hooker entered the game in his place.

–  Linebacker Jayon Brown came up with a near-interception, bringing up third down for the Raiders.

– Henry punched in the score for the Titans after a 38-yard reception by tight end MyCole Pruitt. The Titans led by a touchdown at that point.

– Tannehill found tight end Jonnu Smith on 17-yard touchdown at the top of the fourth quarter to extend the team’s lead to 35-21.

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– Cornerback Tye Smith forced a fumble, and Brown took it in for a score. Smith has now forced fumbles in back-to-back games.

– With just under four minutes remaining in the game, the Raiders went for it on fourth down at the Titans’ 1. There was nobody home when Carr went to throw the ball, and Tennessee took over on downs.

Winners and losers after Bengals fall to 1-12 with loss to Browns

Winners, losers coming out of Bengals-Browns in Week 14.

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 1-12 on the season during Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Outside of a strong game from Joe Mixon, the Bengals looked lost offensively, converting three of 12 third-down attempts and scoring six points in the second half.

Coming out of the loss, here’s a quick look at some winners and losers, ranging from Mixon to John Ross and more.

 

Winner: Tyler Boyd

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) turns after completing a catch in the first quarter during a NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneer and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct 28

Boyd had been all over the place since the bye, sometimes getting good usage, other times just disappearing outright. Sunday was more of the former, with the No. 1 wideout getting six targets and turning it into five catches for 75 yards. It certainly didn’t hurt that John Ross was back on the field to space things out.

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John Harbaugh: Mark Andrews injury isn’t serious

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t believe tight end Mark Andrews’ injury is serious. Andrews said he’ll play Thursday.

The Baltimore Ravens escaped Buffalo with a win over the Bills and might have escaped with much more. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews left in the first half with what was later called a knee injury and didn’t return to the lineup.

After the game, coach John Harbaugh noted Andrews’ injury wasn’t very serious, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. With a quick turnaround in Week 15 to play the New York Jets in just four days, there could still be some concern about Andrews being able to suit up for next week. However, Harbaugh said Andrews told him he’d play on Thursday night.

Though Andrews missed much of the game due to the injury, he was still targeted three times (tied for second most on the team) and caught one pass for 14 yards. His two other targets were just off his fingertips, including one in the end zone that would have been a touchdown. The weather clearly affected Baltimore’s passing attack in Week 14 with high wind gusts blowing the ball around but Andrews’ absence was also felt, especially on third downs (27% conversion rate) and down the stretch when they usually pull out to an insurmountable lead.

Andrews has been the driving force of Baltimore’s passing attack. Andrews leads the team in receptions (54), receiving yards (707) and receiving touchdowns (7). While missing a game or two wouldn’t be the end of the world with the 5-8 Jets and 6-7 Cleveland Browns up next, and a playoff spot already clinched; missing much more than that could put a damper on the Ravens’ offensive juggernaut.

We’ll see where Andrews places on this week’s injury report as a better indication of his status for Week 15.

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Ravens officially clinch playoff spot with win over Bills

The Baltimore Ravens have punched their ticket for the 2019 postseason after beating the Buffalo Bills 24-17 in Week 14.

The Baltimore Ravens entered Week 14 with a clear and obvious goal: win. With a chance to punch their own ticket into the postseason, Baltimore simply had to beat the Buffalo Bills to do it. While the Bills didn’t make it very easy, the Ravens sealed their 24-17 win and a playoff spot.

No matter how the remainder of the season goes for Baltimore, they’ll be playing after most of the league packs it up and starts their offseason plans. As we’ve seen before, anything can happen once in the playoffs and with just six teams earning a chance to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIV, the Ravens have cemented themselves among the league’s best squads.

But with the win over Buffalo, Baltimore also opened themselves up to a number of other key playoff scenarios.

Sitting at 11-2 right now, the Ravens have ensured they’ll remain the AFC’s No. 1 seed for at least another week. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the New England Patriots thanks to their Week 9 win. With the Patriots playing the Kansas City Chiefs in the evening games, there’s a chance the Ravens could actually go up a game on the top AFC seed.

Baltimore also has a chance to formally clinch the AFC North crown as well. They’ll need the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the evening games but would set themselves up as no worse than the No. 4 seed if that happened.

Though many might be a little downtrodden after back-to-back close wins thanks to the Ravens blowing out opponents in previous weeks, no Baltimore fan is upset at a guaranteed playoff spot.

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Watch: Marcus Peters enjoys a beer in the stands after game-clinching stop

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was so pumped up after sealing the win, he jumped into the stands to enjoy a beer with fans.

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins but the Baltimore Ravens answered the call in Buffalo and beat the Bills 24-17. It went down to the wire, with Buffalo driving and looking to tie the score up in the final minute. Though Baltimore’s offense was able to hang 24 points on Buffalo, it was the Ravens’ defense that needed to come through strong to close out this game.

On fourth-and-game at Baltimore’s 17-yard line, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen targeted wide receiver John Brown at the goal line. However, Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was right in his hip pocket, deflecting the ball away and sealing the victory.

Peters wasn’t done there though, he took to the stands to celebrate with fans and got a (hopefully) ice-cold beer for his troubles. At the 16-second mark of the clip, you can see Peters crushing the plastic cup into his mouth, surrounded by those wearing purple.

Defending the pass might be dirty work at times but it’s clearly thirsty work as well.

Peters has been on fire for Baltimore since getting traded by the Los Angeles Rams prior to Week 7. His aggressive play style and personality have translated beautifully to the Ravens’ defense, where he’s notched three interceptions in seven games, returning two for touchdowns. There’s been a dramatic improvement in Baltimore’s defense and the clear line in the two units’ play has been Peters’ arrival.

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Bengals fall victim to NFL’s erratic replay review rules after critical INT

A rare occurrence went against the Bengals at the worst possible time.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a chance to save a losing effort against the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 after William Jackson tipped a pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr. and Jessie Bates intercepted it.

NFL officials and rules intervened.

The scene? Fourth-quarter, Bengals down eight points and in great field position if the interception counts. Granted, the offense had been terrible near the goal line all day, but the point stands.

After the interception though, officials decided to review the turnover and decided Jackson committed DPI. And he did — the problem here is the precedent of this actually happening leaguewide.

Simply put, it doesn’t.

This reaction summed it up nicely:

And here:

Now, Bengals coaches and players will say they shouldn’t have been in a position to need help from officials in the first place. Very true. So is the fact that, while the result stinks, it moves the team closer to the first-overall pick.

But it just seems poetic that for all the twists and turns this season took to date, including the worst start in franchise history, the run of bad luck simply wasn’t done.

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Instant analysis after Bengals come up short in loss to Browns

Notes and game balls coming out of Sunday’s AFC North game.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a brief week to celebrate a single win before dropping Sunday’s game to the Cleveland Browns in 27-19 fashion.

In Cleveland, Zac Taylor’s offense was a complete mess besides a splendid effort from Joe Mixon. The unit couldn’t convert on third downs or near the goal line and it cost the team the game outright.

Here’s a look at some notable stats, game balls and quick notes.

 

It was over when …

…Browns running back Kareem Hunt scored early in the third quarter to make it 21-13. The Bengals simply hadn’t shown enough offensively to inspire confidence the unit could make a play or two and win it.

 

Quick Hits

— First drive fizzles out again after a nice throw from Andy Dalton and great run by Joe Mixon. Settling for field goals, even against the Browns, wasn’t going to win it though. That provided a good tale of things to come.

— Nick Vigil with a huge interception on Cleveland’s first drive. Oddly enough, he’s been superb since the team cut Preston Brown, strange as it sounds.

— Why do bad teams stay bad? First-quarter: Joe Mixon carries the ball, gets a personal foul for getting too aggressive toward an opponent. Third-and-long, Dalton fires a fastball inaccurately at Auden Tate that goes back for a touchdown. Fans will hear about this one all week.

— Jessie Bates grabbed Cincinnati’s second turnover of the day after a pass went off the hands of a Browns wideout. Like Vigil, he’s been flying around and making big plays lately.

— Despite chunk yardage at points, by halftime Bengals had completed one third down attempt on seven tries. By the end of the game it was three of 12.

— Laughable effort on a 50-plus yard run for the Browns as at least three Bengals missed tackles on the carrier. The defense had been mostly fine to that point but it’s exactly what a team doesn’t want to see out of the halftime tunnel.

— Odd play calls from Zac Taylor and Co. on two consecutive trips into the redzone, highlighted by a strange quarterback draw on a fourth down to give the ball back. Aggressiveness is good — the play-calling hasn’t been. At the time, that brought the running tally to one touchdown on five red zone trips.

— Bengals get decimated by a flag late in the game. Jessie Bates picked off a pass intended for Odell Beckham that could’ve swung the contest given the field position. Officials decided to overrule the play because they found DPI by William Jackson on review. Given how little this has happened leaguewide, if at all, it was alarming, to say the least. The call was right, the precedent for it, not so much.

 

Key Stat

3-12, 1-5: Let’s double up. The first number is the team’s conversion rate on the third down, the second is conversion rate in the red zone for touchdowns. When it mattered, the play calls weren’t great and neither was the execution.

 

Game Ball: Joe Mixon

Mixon has been on fire for weeks and this seems like the apex. He put up an almost silly 146 yards on 23 carries with a score, good for an average of 6.3. Oddly, he wasn’t always involved in the red zone, but Mixon made the best effort to put the entire team on his back that he could.

 

Up next: The Bengals return home for what has always looked like one of their toughest games of the year — a visit from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

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Ravens Highlight: Lamar Jackson hits Hayden Hurst for a 61-yard TD

TE Hayden Hurst slips past the defense where Jackson finds him for the easy throw and catch and subsequent score.

After a relatively slow first half, the Baltimore Ravens offense found pay-dirt early in the second half — just three plays in, actually.

With the Buffalo Bills’ defense selling out to stop the Ravens’ rushing attack, tight end Hayden Hurst was able to get wide open. Hurst slipped beyond the defense where quarterback Lamar Jackson found him wide open and with open field in front of him. 61 yards later and Baltimore extended their lead over Buffalo.

The Ravens’ pick-your-poison offensive scheme is largely the reason for this play’s success. You can see the linebackers keeping their eyes in the backfield, either waiting for Jackson to run or for a delayed handoff. Hurst ends up being completely forgotten in coverage, allowing him to get open.

This was Hurst’s longest passing play of his short career. With fellow tight end Mark Andrews doubtful to return with a knee injury, Hurst and Nick Boyle have stepped up to help fill the void. Though Baltimore’s offense hasn’t had the best game thus far, Hurst’s quick touchdown could be the thing that gets the Ravens over the Bills this week.

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Ravens highlights: Lamar Jackson improvises and finds TE Nick Boyle for TD vs. Bills

Lamar Jackson ad-libbed and found his tight end Nick Boyle with a quick shovel pass for the short touchdown

The Baltimore Ravens have struggled early against the Buffalo Bills. Baltimore’s offense has failed to find a ton of rushing room or get much going through the air in heavy wind gusts. But the Ravens’ offense got back to their usual unique self in the second quarter with another magical play at the goal line.

Sometimes it’s the plays you don’t plan that end up being the game-changers. On what looked like a designed quarterback run at the three-yard line, one that appeared to be sniffed out by the Bills’ defense, Lamar Jackson ad-libbed and found tight end Nick Boyle with a quick shovel pass for the short touchdown, putting the visiting Ravens up 10-0 in the second quarter.

Jackson has become known for his “schoolyard” style improvisation with plays like this and the Ravens have become a better team because of it. On a day where the Bills’ defense has done a good job of holding Jackson and the Ravens in check, plays like this may be the x-factor that leads Baltimore to its 9th-straight win and a playoff birth.

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Lamar Jackson reaches 1,000 rushing yards after embarrassing Bills defender

Lamar Jackson just reached 1,000 rushing yards by making yet another defender look foolish trying to tackle him.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been making history with his legs all season. In each game, Jackson has been humiliating defenders left and right, watching them whiff on tackles and seeing knees buckle as he jukes them out.

In Week 14 against the Buffalo Bills, Jackson kept that up once again. In the first quarter, Jackson looked like he’d be stopped near the line of scrimmage but a quick shake and Buffalo’s linebacker fell to the ground without ever touching the quarterback.

Take a look at how Jackson juked out yet another professional athlete.

It’s fitting that such an iconic Jackson run is what brought him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Jackson’s legs have embarrassed multiple defenders this season as the Ravens have built a new-look offense around him. And it’s also gotten him close to breaking Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for quarterbacks.

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