The Ravens secured a thrilling win against the Tennessee Titans during Wild Card Weekend. They will advance to the divisional round after an intense game filled with incredible plays, clutch performances, and a 20-13 win.
The first quarter opened with both teams making immediate stops on defense, not allowing for either explosive offense to gain momentum. Then, the Titans struck first when star receiver A.J. Brown caught a 10-yard pass from QB Ryan Tannehill for the first score of the game. In response, QB Lamar Jackson and the offense looked to march down the field. However, he threw a costly interception to CB Malcolm Butler to give Tennessee another opportunity to score. A field goal put the Titans up early 10-0 and the Ravens into a deficit that would prove difficult to erase. The quarter ended with the Ravens falling behind as the Titans remained strong.
Baltimore started the second quarter with hope, kicking an early field goal by Tucker to finally put the Ravens on the board. An early stop on defense allowed Jackson to show off his incredible skills. The QB showed just how dazzling his athletic ability is on a 48-yard touchdown run where he evaded almost every Tennessee defender in the secondary to tie the game. Baltimore’s defense made an important stop that brought the end of the half with an intense game that would most likely go down to the wire.
The second half proved to be even more competitive than the first, highlighting the amazing talent of both teams. Baltimore started strong with a 77-yard touchdown drive with a march down to the goal line and a RB J.K. Dobbins run to put them ahead. Both teams made stops on defense to keep this game at 17-10 for much of the third. Later in the quarter, the Titans finally regained some momentum and kicked a field goal for the first time since the beginning of the game. The last 15 minutes of the game would have fans holding their breath as their teams faced possible elimination.
To start their first drive of the fourth, Baltimore put themselves in good position to score, but game up short in Tennessee territory. Tucker lined up for a manageable 52-yard field goal but just missed the post to give the Titans a chance to mount a comeback. Yet, Baltimore’s defense stopped them yet again in Ravens territory. Looking to create a two-score game, Jackson and the offense tried but failed on a 3rd and 6. However, a Tucker field goal put the Ravens up 20-13 with just four minutes left to go. The Titans’ offense relied on Tannehill and star RB Derrick Henry to drive up the field. Tennessee’s hopes soon faded when Tannehill threw a costly interception to Pro Bowl CB Marcus Peters with under two minutes left. A first down by Gus Edwards cemented the win for Baltimore as they moved on to the divisional round.
Sunday’s victory marks Jackson’s first playoff victory in his career, where he was previously 0-2. The Ravens will look to advance further in the hopes of another Super Bowl victory for the city. However, a tough matchup lies ahead with the 2 seed Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.
Featured Image courtesy of Pat Gavin via Flickr Creative Commons
