The Baltimore Ravens will take on the only playoff team they didn’t face in the regular season. The Ravens will host the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 8:15 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Titans handled the New England Patriots, using their powerful rushing attack and capable defense to win 20-13. Running back Derrick Henry was let loose, gaining 182 rushing yards and a touchdown on 34 carries while quarterback Ryan Tannehill 72 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one interception did just enough to balance out the offense and keep New England honest.
While Tennessee came into the playoffs as the sixth and final seed, there was plenty of reason to believe they might be one of the more dangerous teams. Not only has Baltimore not played them yet this season, but their tough rushing attack and improved quarterback play after switching from Marcus Mariota to Tannehill had also them surging in the final half of the season.
Though it might not appear that way thanks to just 72 passing yards in a playoff game, Tannehill has actually been one of the best quarterbacks this season. In 10 starts, Tannehill posted 22 passing touchdowns to six interceptions and a passer rating of 117.5 (better than Lamar Jackson’s 113.3 rating).
Their defense, led by former Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees, has been good but not great. However, as we saw in their wild-card game against New England, Tennessee was more than able to create big plays when they need them.
This will be a really tough test for Baltimore but is just one step in their quest to get to Super Bowl LIV.
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