15 October 2023
Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Sunday’s Week 6 game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Mike Preston: The Ravens kicked six field goals. That won’t be good enough in the postseason, but will work well enough against the Titans. This was one game the Ravens didn’t have to worry about a comeback because neither of the Titans quarterbacks, Ryan Tannehill or Malik Willis, can win with their arms. It’s too early to label games as must wins, but when a team loses to the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers, this was a game the Ravens couldn’t afford to lose.
Childs Walker: One more week, one more dominant first half for the Ravens, who scored on their first four drives. Lamar Jackson’s adjustments at the line of scrimmage were key to keeping those drives going. The only rub was that the Ravens settled for three field goals because their power running game let them down.
Again, however, they played sleepier and sloppier in the second half, with unimaginative play calling and a few errant throws by Jackson helping Tennessee back into the game. Their defense seemed in danger of faltering as well after a 63-yard run by Derrick Henry and a helmet-to-helmet hit by safety Kyle Hamilton that got him kicked out. But the Ravens popped back thanks to an interception by Geno Stone and a critical open field tackle on third down by Patrick Queen.
John Harbaugh didn’t take any chances this week, opting for a field goal every time he had a chance to go on fourth-and-short. The Ravens’ season could have turned gloomy in a hurry if they’d followed up their disaster in Pittsburgh with a blown game in London. Instead, they’ll come home with their season back on track.
C.J. Doon: Every Ravens game is the same. When defensive tackle Michael Pierce was called for a questionable roughing the passer penalty in the third quarter and Derrick Henry broke loose for a 63-yard gain on the next play, it felt like the start of another collapse. Sure enough, the Titans kicked a field goal, Lamar Jackson threw an interception on the next series and Henry immediately rushed for a 15-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 18-13. This should have been a blowout if not for the Ravens’ inability to finish drives in the red zone (1-for-6). The Ravens can’t seem to put teams away; since the start of last season, they’re tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the most blown double-digit leads with five. They won this one, but it sure wasn’t impressive.
Tim Schwartz: The Ravens’ special teams returned to form in London, but it’s the same old, same old for their offense. They racked up 242 yards in the first half (the Titans had 66) but managed just one touchdown. It should’ve been over by halftime. Fortunately for Baltimore, Tennessee’s offense is one-dimensional and aside from a pair of long gains from Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears, it never really threatened to win the game. The Ravens just can’t seem to put a full 60-minute game together in all three phases, but they do enough to beat bad teams. The Lions will be a good measuring stick next Sunday.
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