2020 NFL Divisional Round Preview: Tennessee at Baltimore

The Tennessee Titans will head to Baltimore to try to knock out the presumptive MVP in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. While certainly not as flashy as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense, there are a multitude of similarities between both teams on either side of the football. This should make for a very entertaining game on Saturday night.

The Ravens earned a bye after finishing with the best record in the AFC. The Titans are coming off an impressive victory that may have marked the beginning of the end for the New England Patriots dynasty. Both teams play aggressive defense, run the ball with a relentless fury, and have quarterbacks that can create on the move. With so many similarities between the teams, this game should be decided by who can make more plays in sixty minutes.

The line for this game favors the Ravens -10. While it is understandable that last week’s defeat of the Patriots would not have a huge effect on this game’s line, 10 points seems like a strong insult to what the Titans are capable of doing. Let’s take a look at how both teams can make it past the Divisional round on Saturday.

Tennessee at Baltimore (BAL -10): Saturday, January 11, 2020 – 8:15 PM ET (CBS)

How the Ravens Win

Stack the Box

Derrick Henry is a phenom. There are very few human beings who can single-handedly take Henry down. The Ravens’ defensive scheme will have to focus on getting as many bodies around Henry as possible. An elite defense in New England could not get the job done. Baltimore’s defense, however, is quite different.

The Patriots’ strength on defense was their ability to get quarterbacks to make mistakes and turn the ball over. This strength did no good against Derrick Henry. The Ravens’ strength on defense is their aggressiveness. It is this ferocious pursuit of the football that will be necessary to contain Henry and force the Titans to challenge Baltimore’s strong secondary.

Marcus Peters Has Made The Ravens Defense Elite Again

Keep Lamar’s Passing Attempts Low

Lamar Jackson is adept at doing more with less. He can cause more damage with 15 passing attempts than most quarterbacks can with 50. In a game that will feature hard-nosed, aggressive football, every pass attempt runs a high risk of being tipped in the wrong direction or mishandled. Either one of these results could lead to an uncharacteristic turnover and points for Titans.

Keeping the number of passing attempts low will also ensure that the Ravens are managing the game in an efficient way by running the football. There is still no recipe for stopping Lamar Jackson and his read-plays. The Ravens would be smart to choose the running option on many of those plays and passing only when that is truly the best course of action. One year ago, Lamar did not manage this well against the Chargers. This year should be different.

Special Teams

There are so many occasions in which special teams can swing a game one way or another. John Harbaugh is one of the biggest special teams managers and this game could come down to a big play in this aspect of the game. Whether it is a blocked punt/field goal or a kickoff/punt return for a TD, in a game controlled by tough running and good defense, winning the special teams battle can often lead to winning the war. If it comes down to that in the Divisional round, Baltimore definitely has the upper hand.

How the Titans Win

Feed A.J. Brown

Everyone on both teams know that the Titans will run Derrick Henry all game. This is going to lead the Ravens to try everything possible to slow him down. This includes sacrificing secondary personnel as part of run-stop packages. This is good news for A.J. Brown.

Brown thrives against man coverage and he should see plenty of that on Saturday night. After establishing the run early in the game, Tennessee should be comfortable running play-action in a manner that sets up Brown for opportunities in short, middle, and long range. As important as Henry is for this offense, Brown having a good game might be the true difference-maker.

Defensive Creativity

No defensive coordinator in the league has proven to have an ability to come up with a scheme to stop Lamar Jackson. Mike Vrabel and his defensive coaches have plenty of tape and have had all season to get creative with their approach.

Does Defense Still Win Championships in the NFL?

Whether it is employing personnel in different packages or coming up with exotic blitz/coverage schemes, Vrabel might need to experiment early in this game. The Titans’ defense is strong and agile. That should help with accounting for all of the receiving options on the Ravens’ offense while also spying on Jackson. Keeping that under control, however, might just lead the Ravens pushing the ball up the middle with Ingram. It is not an envious task to do what the Titans’ defense must this weekend, but a trip to the conference championship is certainly a worthy reward.

Win the Turnover Battle

The best way to stop the Ravens’ offensive progress is to take the ball away. This will not be easy given how few times Lamar throws the ball. However, the Titans’ defense is full of smart players who push for the ball with every tackle. A tipped pass or a muffed ball could lead to a huge defensive touchdown. If the Titans are able to match the intensity of the Ravens on both sides of the ball, winning the turnover battle could be the key to earning an unlikely victory.

Is Derrick Henry the 2019-2020 MVP?

Prediction: Tennessee 17 Baltimore 24

I can see this Divisional round game being tight up until the last possible second. If the game comes down to a clutch play at the end of the fourth quarter or OT, my money will always be on the NFL’s MVP.