The Baltimore Ravens faced off against the Tennessee Titans in a highly anticipated match against two AFC contenders. Tennessee came out on top, ending the game 30-24.
The Titans struck first in the first quarter on a 79-yard drive captivating with a 1-yard pass from QB Tannehill to tight end Jonnu Smith. The Ravens then took a slow but steady march down the field and settled for a field goal after taking over 6 minutes to get to the Tennessee 12. The first quarter ended with a Titans drive on their own 32 and a slight advantage at 7-3.
The second quarter started off with immediate excitement as OLB Tyus Bowser intercepted a pass from Tannehill and returned it to the Tennessee 22. However, the Ravens could not get the ball into the end zone despite the advantage and were stopped at the 9-yard line. A field goal put them down by only 1 as they stopped the Titans offense on their first set of downs. This allowed the offense to ready themselves and take the ball all the way to the end zone for the first Ravens touchdown of the game. A two-point conversion put the Ravens up 14-7 with just over five minutes left in the half. Tennessee looked to take their time up the field while still managing to score, and they managed a 40-yard field goal with just under 1 minute left. The Ravens could not get a drive going with such little time and went into halftime with a 14-10 lead.
The second half proved just as exciting as the first, especially as the game went down to the final minutes without a clear victor. The Ravens scored again on their first possession of the half and took command of the Tennessee defense on a 74-yard drive and 31-yard touchdown pass from QB Lamar Jackson. Tannehill and the Titans responded with another field goal to keep them in the game to shrink the lead to 21-13. Jackson and the offense made a crucial mistake during the next drive as Jackson threw an interception to safety Amani Hooker. The Titans took advantage and scored on a field goal to keep them close at 21-16. After another failed drive from the Ravens offense, the Titans finally regained the lead with a 14-yard pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown after a 90-yard drive. With just two minutes left, the Ravens offense attempted to score but failed to take the lead on a 3rd and 6 at the Tennessee 10. With a field goal, the game headed to overtime where running back Derrick Henry scored on a 29-yard run to win the game.
Baltimore falls to 6-4 as they lose their second straight game and 3rd in the AFC North due to a Cleveland win over Philadelphia. The Ravens look to bounce back with a victory Thursday night against the 10-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Featured Image courtesy of Howard Smith via Flickr Creative Commons
