That’s what NFL playoff football is all about, folks. Lamar Jackson. Derrick Henry. Two of the league’s most explosive and unpredictable offenses and stories galore. Do the Titans of Tennessee have another deep playoff up their sleeve? Did Jackson overcome his fall in the middle of the season? Can he finally win a playoff game? Do the Titans have the Baltimore Ravens number after last year’s playoff turnaround and their 30-24 win in overtime in week 11? Does Tennessee still play defense? The NFL Recap is sure that this game will be something special. In this preview of the 2020-2021 NFL playoff between the Titans and the Ravens, we have a hunch that Baltimore may just be able to cause a turnaround.
This Wild Card game will take place on Sunday, January 10 at 1:05 pm (Eastern Time) on ABC and ESPN.
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The Tennessee Titans season in a nutshell
Derrick Henry crushed petty humans. Ryan Tannehill proved that his increase at the end of the season in 2019 was no accident. A balanced reception body led by AJ Brown and Corey Davis made it impossible to fire any of the team’s weapons. Meanwhile, the Titans’ defense expected opponents to be intimidated by coach Mike Vrabel’s tough-minded reputation and not realize how weak she was, while the special teams disappointed them several times in the middle of the season.
The Baltimore Ravens season in a nutshell
The Ravens were 5-1 and in cruise control when it all fell apart in November. Lamar Jackson suffered a violent fall in the middle of the season, where the NFL seemed to catch up with him as a passer and runner. An outbreak punctuated a three-game losing streak, forcing Robert Griffin to lead a reserve team in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson and the Ravens, however, stabilized in December, assisted by an easy end-of-season schedule. They won their last three games by a combined score of 80-30.
Playoff prediction: Baltimore Ravens’ greatest strength
Despite their offensive collapse in the middle of the season, the Ravens still led the NFL by entering Week 17 with 177.8 yards per game and 5.3 yards per race. The emergence of JK Dobbins helped the Ravens run more than 200 yards four times in their last five games, including (Holy Moly) 404 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of the season.
Playoff preview: Tennessee Titans’ greatest strength
It’s all about Henry / Tannehill balance. By Football Outsiders, the Titans’ attack entered Week 17 ranked third in the NFL in races, fourth in passes, sixth in first down, fifth in second down, fourth in third and fourth downs, fifth in the red zone and second in goal – situations for the goal. It is difficult to prevent an offense that is very good in almost all situations.
Tennessee Titans’ biggest weakness
The Titans registered just 14 sacks entering Week 17 and placed 28th in the NFL, with just 189 pressure passes. All other defensive problems begin with the inability to rush the defender.
Baltimore Ravens’ biggest weakness
Yes, Jackson really fights when he plays for the side. Here are your numbers when entering Week 17 on passes marked “left” or “right” and more than 10 air yards (to remove passes and swing screens) in the Sports Information Solutions database: 18 of 46, 385 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions and a ranking of 78.6 that ranks 27th among NFL beginners.
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The most worrying thing about Jackson’s pass numbers on the touchline is the low number of attempts. Ryan Fitzpatrick tried 48 field passes entering Week 17, although he was suspended (more or less) weeks ago. Dak Prescott tried 40 of them, and you probably forgot that he even played this year. Jackson’s passing through the field has become such a problem that the Ravens have given up trying for much of the year, although he appears to have improved somewhat since returning from quarantine.
Result
The Titans have a better attack than the Ravens. They have better balance, better weapons, less weaknesses, less dependence on options and play action to configure everything else. The Ravens, however, have far superior defense and the best special teams in the league, including Justin Tucker, who may be the best kicker of all time.
Yes, Jackson ran out of playoffs in 2018 and 2019. Yes, the Ravens play badly from behind. But the Titans just gave up 38 points to a Houston Texans team with nothing to play for except pride. The Ravens can fall 45 on them if Jackson plays the way he played in December instead of the way he played in Week 11. If that happens, all the rigid arms in the world will not save the Titans.
Starting choice: Baltimore Ravens
(All statistics via Sports Information Solutions, unless otherwise stated)