RSR Staff predict what we’ll see on Sunday when the Ravens head to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans, in a reboot of a great old AFC Central rivalry.
Tony Lombardi
This was once a clash of two physical football teams that really didn’t like each other and at the dawn of the new millennium, it was a bitter rivalry comparable to that which the Ravens now share with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Realignment changed all that and today the matchup is no more riveting than that of any team in the AFC South. But boy was the old AFC Central a fun division.
Here’s what you can expect on Sunday between the two franchises, who have split their 18 regular season contests evenly, while overall, on the heels of a (2-1) playoff advantage, the Ravens hold a slight (11-10) edge.
— Joe Flacco has a career regular season passer rating of just 63.1 v. the Titans. On Sunday he’ll boost that by 50% by going 23 of 34 for 223 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT, equating to a 93.1 passer rating.
— Alex Collins has averaged 6 yards per carry this season. That average will take a hit in Nashville as he manages just 56 yards on 18 carries.
— DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry will combine for 135 yards and 2 scores.
— The Ravens will manage to register just 1 sack when Matt Judon runs Marcus Mariota out of bounds 1 yard short of the line of scrimmage. He won’t match Flacco’s numbers during the afternoon.
(SIDEBAR: Did you know that Titans kicker Ryan Succop was Mr. Irrelevant in 2009? He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with 2009’s final draft pick. Interesting note, the Ravens had prepared a fax to Succop’s agent to sign the former South Carolina Gamecock as an undrafted free agent. You have to wonder if the Chiefs didn’t select Succop, if Justin Tucker would be a Raven today.)
— Succop has connected on 47 consecutive field goal attempts inside of 50 yards, an NFL record. He’ll extend that to 49 on Sunday.
— The game will tilt on a late interception courtesy of Flacco leading to a walk-off Succop field goal.
Titans 24, Ravens 23
Todd Karpovich
— The Titans will test the Ravens’ run defense, which had a bounce-back game against the Dolphins after struggling the previous five weeks. Despite some progress, Baltimore is still ranked 30th, allowing 1,062 yards on the ground. Tennessee will pound the ball with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. If the Ravens offense struggles, the defense will eventually wear down against these two tough running backs.
— Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota appears to be 100 percent, and he is the type of dual-threat that has given Baltimore problems this season. He will be able to keep Baltimore off-balance.
— With Joe Flacco coming off a concussion, the Ravens will also rely on the run, which plays into Tennessee’s strength. Alex Collins ran for more than 100 yards last week against the Dolphins. As a result, he will face more players in the box. This will be his biggest test to date. Tennessee is ranked ninth against the run.
— This is a big game for Tennessee, which will stay atop the AFC South with a victory. The Titans are also coming off a bye and the extra time could be the biggest difference in the game. Tennessee is also tough at home, winning seven of its past nine games at Nissan Stadium.
— The “O!” will be heard prominently during the National Anthem.
Final: Titans 24, Ravens 17
Adam Bonaccorsi
The Titans’ strengths should feed on the Ravens’ weaknesses, as the Titans should run at Baltimore all day, while their defense should feast on Alex Collins/Buck Allen who will likely see a heavy workload after Flacco returns from his concussion.
Tennessee is great at home.
Baltimore is lackluster on the road.
Tennessee is coming off a bye week- 4 extra days of rest can be huge.
So with everything pointing to the Titans on Sunday? I SHALL PICK THE RAVENS!
If you need OT to beat the Browns? You don’t deserve to beat my Ravens.
Collins hits the century mark on the ground, Buck Allen grabs 5 balls for 70 yards in the pass game, and the backs account for 200 total yards of offense and 2 TD.
The defense continues its solid play after somebody stole Dean Pees’ playbook and erased every play rushing only 3. Two picks and a fumble recovery for Baltimore en route to a 5-4 record and a much needed bye week!
BAL 24 TEN 14
Derek Arnold
The Box O’Chocolate Ravens make it anybody’s guess as to which team will show up on any given week. The team that beat Miami 40-0? The team that lost to Jacksonville 44-7? Or something in between?
The in-between, unfortunately, is still kinda ugly. Collins will be held in check by a stout Tennessee front seven, and the Ravens pass-catchers will do their usual – no separation, failure to make plays in traffic, and negative YAC. Flacco throws two picks, one of which first bounces off the hands of…oh, let’s go with…Maxx Williams.
The run D will be stout again, but Mariota will keep a couple plays alive with his legs, doing a nice Fat Ben impression at times.
This team trounced Miami at home last year and we were tricked into thinking they had turned a corner – spoiler: they hadn’t. Fool me once…
The Ravens can’t get enough going and fall flat again entering a bye that should be filled with soul searching, but will instead just involve more “working hard” while doing the same things and expecting different results.
Titans 20 Ravens 16
John Darcey
— Alex Collins continues to show he is the best back the Ravens have with 80 yards on the ground. Collins will find the end zone for the first time all year.
— Joe Flacco back after that vicious hit last week throws for 225 yards a touchdown, finding Jeremy Maclin in the end zone for the second straight week.
— Flacco will throw an INT as it will bounce off Perriman’s hands in his only target of the game. Perriman will finish the game with zero catches again!
— The defense will get after Mariota sacking him five times and getting a pick as well. The defense finishes the day as a top three fantasy play.
— But in the end, they are on the road against an actual NFL staring QB, who will score a late rushing touchdown to send the Ravens into the bye at 4-5
Titans 24 Ravens 21
Ryan Jones
The Ravens’ record at the moment actually suits them perfectly. Sitting at 4-4, they’ve struggled bring the same focus and intensity to the field after a big win. There’s a few other factors working against them.
The Titans are coming off of a bye and are well rested. Marcus Mariota is also now healthy after dealing with a bad hamstring. And it looks like Corey Coleman will be ready to go after missing a few weeks. Also, while Flacco will play and deserves credit for his toughness, it’s hard not to imagine him being uneasy in the pocket after the vicious blow he took from Kiko Alonso. Combine all that with being on the road and this is a tough game for the Ravens to win.
Titans 24 Ravens 16
Joe Polek
Mariota has been struggling with a hamstring injury, but the team claims he is now 100%. He hasn’t played like it the last two weeks, and that is good news for the Ravens.
This used to be one of the best rivalries in football. Now it’s an afterthought. The all-time regular season series is tied 9-9, and the Ravens lead the postseason series 2-1. They last played in 2014 in Baltimore and the Ravens won 21-17.
As I said at the beginning of this column… you can’t predict the NFL. But I will try anyway. Flacco doesn’t play or, if he does, not well. Collins and Allen run well, and Tucker kicks multiple field goals, and the Ravens find a way to win 16-13.
