Terrell Suggs doesn’t get caught up in the highs and lows of a season.
Instead, he focuses on the big picture, which entails winning a division title, making a deep playoff run, and ideally, taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
“We’re quick to get over wins, and we have to be quick to get over losses,” he said.
That’s why it was not entirely surprising the Ravens bounced back from a clunker in Cleveland with one of the most dominant performances in franchise history in a 21-0 victory over the Titans.
Baltimore finished with 11 sacks — one shy of tying the NFL record. Tennessee was also shut out for the first time in the 20-year history of Nissan Stadium.
The Ravens allowed just 106 total yards, the second fewest in franchise history behind the 94 yards given up against Cincinnati in 2000.
“You just want to play productive defense, and we had the opportunity to do that today,” Suggs said. “Our offense did a good job of controlling the time of possession, so we pretty much had a fresh defense. It was a team win, offense, defense, and special teams alike. So, it was a good win. It was a good road win, too.”
The Ravens sit atop the AFC North with the Bengals, who faltered late in a 28-21 loss to the Steelers.
Baltimore plays at M&T Bank Stadium for four of its next five games. First up is a game against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in Week 7.
The team will remember Suggs’ mantra of not getting too high on low.
“We know the upcoming challenge,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We know who we’re playing next Sunday, coming into our place and what they’re about, and how good they are. So, that’s really going to be in our minds especially as coaches, as we go to work for the next day and a half, two days, to game plan. But, we’re going to enjoy this one tonight.”
While the defense was dominant, quarterback Joe Flacco and the rest of the offense also played well. Flacco was 25 of 37 with 238 yards with a touchdown and a deflected interception. Alex Collins recovered from a rough outing against the Browns and scored a pair of touchdowns.
Receiver Michael Crabtree had three drops against Cleveland last week, including a potential game-winning touchdown in the final minutes. This time, Crabtree took over the game against the Titans, finishing with six receptions for 93 yards and the Ravens’ first touchdown.
“It’s football. You know, I say that a lot,” Crabtree said. “I’m going to say that all the time, because that’s what it is. Preparation, working hard at practice and getting back to the basics. That’s my formula.”
The victory was marred by a neck injury to left guard Alex Lewis. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment and the early prognosis was positive.
“I would say this, that so far, so good. There’s a lot of optimism,” Harbaugh said about Lewis. “He neurologically has his movement and all of those kinds of things, so they’re doing the test right now. We’re waiting on a CT scan right now, which will give us a lot more information.”
