NFL Divisional Playoff Game: Ravens vs. Titans

Pounding running backs, defensive stars, & blue-collar work ethic set the stage for a game between two tough NFL teams.

Ravens vs. Titans Overview:
The legendary defense of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens sent the NFL leading Tennessee Titans home in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl. Eight years later, the Tennessee Titans are again atop the NFL while the Baltimore Ravens field the No. 2 defense in football. The Tennessee Titans pulled off a win against the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season, but all that goes out the window in the NFL playoffs. With NFL playoffs tickets to the Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans match up, fans will see the best game of the season live from Nashville, Tennessee.

Baltimore Ravens Offense:
The defense may have stamped the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff tickets, but the offense has done their part and more. Like any great defensive team, the Baltimore Ravens use power football to control the clock and field position. RB/FB Le’Ron McClain provides size and power with RB Willis McGahee as the homerun threat. Former Tennessee Titans FB Lorenzo Neal will go down as the best blocking back in NFL history and paves the way. Rookie QB Joe Flacco protects the football and makes few mistakes. WR Derrick Mason and TE Todd Heap are veteran targets.

Baltimore Ravens Defense:
The No. 2 defense in the NFL is based on a hybrid of the 4-3 and 3-4 and is run by genius coordinator Rex Ryan. NT/DE Haloti Ngata does not get much press but is one of the most dominant linemen in football. DE/OLB Terrell Suggs’ pass rush comes from every point on the field and can confuse linemen. ILB Ray Lewis is a perennial favorite of fans with Baltimore Ravens playoff tickets and has tacked on another Pro Bowl to his Hall of Fame career. S Ed Reed came up big in the NFL playoffs already, and his versatility is the heart of the defense.

Tennessee Titans Offense:
The Tennessee Titans use their running-back tandem of LenDale White and Chris Johnson to not only control the clock but to get big plays. Known as “Smash ‘n’ Dash”, LenDale White beats down teams with his size and power while Chris Johnson uses his blazing speed to break open games. Journeyman QB Kerry Collins is an unlikely hero to fans with Tennessee Titans playoff tickets, but his experience cannot be matched by any physical talent. TE Bo Scaife has become the top weapon in the passing game for Kerry Collins along with WR Justin Gage on the outside.

Tennessee Titans Defense:
Fans with Tennessee Titans playoff tickets hope that All-Star DT Albert Haynesworth will be back in time for the AFC Divisional game. A blend of impeccable instinct, freakish strength, and unmatched explosiveness, no defender can control the line like Albert Haynesworth. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and DT Tony Brown are also top-flight defenders. OLB Keith Bullock reigns over the entire defense as captain and chief playmaker. The Tennessee Titans secondary is a turnover machine thanks to safeties Michael Griffin and Chris Hope deep and CB Cortland Finnegan in man coverage.

Baltimore Ravens Keys to Victory:
In their previous meeting, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans beat each other senseless in the trenches with the Baltimore Ravens winning out. Offensively, the Baltimore Ravens will look to getting their running game going quickly. The predatory safeties deep and the relative lack of weapons mean that the run becomes even more essential to the Baltimore Ravens than usual. The Baltimore Ravens must constantly double team DT Albert Haynesworth to move him off the ball and open lanes. QB Joe Flacco has to manage the game and cannot get baited into passing deep.

Fans with Baltimore Ravens playoff tickets know that their defense smothered the “Smash ‘n’ Dash” all game and choked the Tennessee Titans defense to nothing except for a last-minute drive. NT Haloti Ngata and DE Trevor Pryce must occupy blockers so that ILBs Bart Scott and Ray Lewis can track down the runners early. The Baltimore Ravens were unable to sack Kerry Collins in the previous game and let the veteran beat them in the end. With Ed Reed as an interception magnet deep, a good pass rush could lead to a pick-six by the ultimate ballhawk.

Tennessee Titans Keys to Victory:
The Tennessee Titans cannot count on last-second heroics by Kerry Collins and lucky penalties to win this time. Fans with Tennessee Titans playoff tickets want to see their team run the ball well and often. The Baltimore Ravens defense has destroyed between-the-tackles runners all season, and with center Kevin Mawae battling injury, the outside run and screen to RB Chris Johnson will take touches away from LenDale White. TE Bo Scaife came up big against the Baltimore Ravens before, and he needs to again as he plays in the flats below the coverage of Ed Reed.

If the Tennessee Titans defense can hold the Baltimore Ravens to 100 yards rushing, then fans with NFL playoffs tickets should see the Titans get the victory. A lack of running success means that QB Joe Flacco will be under pressure to win the game. To control the line of scrimmage, DT Albert Haynesworth cannot be pushed backward on the double team and has to hold his ground. The return of DE Kyle Vanden Bosch will make this easier as he will command multiple blockers as well. SS Chris Hope must stick to TE Todd Heap like glue.

Ravens vs. Titans Game Outlook:
Teams with similar mindsets and philosophies always make for great games, and fans with NFL playoffs tickets will not be disappointed. It will not be an offensive shootout by any means, and the only big gains will be on busted plays in the running game. Things will be physical inside The Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee, and both teams’ training staffs are not looking forward to Sunday. There may not be the cheap thrills of dazzling offense, but fans with Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans playoff tickets alike would have their football no other way.

The veteran experience of Kerry Collins really stands out as the only true difference maker between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Joe Flacco has a decade of football ahead of him and will secure Baltimore Ravens playoff tickets for years to come. But in the here and now, the playoff experience favors the hardened Kerry Collins. The defenses will rule the day and the running backs will gain the yards, but the quarterbacks must move the chains. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets will see the Tennessee Titans make just enough plays to pull off another fourth-quarter squeaker.