"This is the matchup Ravens fans should want," NBC Sports' Andrew Gillis wrote. "The Titans have by far the worst defense on this list, and with the Ravens' offense improving each week, that could present matchup problems for the Titans who have allowed Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers to handle them with relative ease.
"Coach Mike Vrabel will certainly have a plan for Lamar Jackson if the two meet, and [Derrick] Henry, paired with wideouts A.J. Brown and Corey Davis, aren't fun matchups to deal with. But if the Ravens are healthy in the secondary, they should leave Nashville with a win. It wouldn't hurt the Ravens to avenge last year's playoff loss, either."
Pundits believe the Ravens can exploit a Titans defense that's allowed 394.4 total yards per game and 122.5 rushing yards per game this season. Since Tennessee's overtime win against Baltimore in Week 11, they've allowed opponents to score 25 points or more in four of their last six regular-season games.
"Tennessee is more of a pick-your-poison team than the one that won in Baltimore last year," NBC Sports' Peter King wrote. "For the Ravens, one of the most prolific rushing games in history (403 yards in Cincinnati) is a preview of how I think they'll play this one. I'll be surprised if Baltimore doesn't try to play keep-away and run it 60 percent of the snaps."
On the other hand, the Ravens are finding their groove offensively. They rushed for a franchise-record 404 yards in the win over the Bengals. The combination of J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Mark Ingram II have steamrolled opposing defenses.
"The Titans narrowly defeated the Ravens back in Week 11, but they should not at all be eager for a rematch," Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox wrote. "With Jackson returning to MVP form, Baltimore is capable of fielding a balanced offensive attack, which Tennessee has struggled against.
"... A Titans-Baltimore game could turn into a run-heavy back-and-forth shootout. While that isn't necessarily ideal for any team in the postseason, it could be downright disastrous for the Titans."
In Week 11, the Ravens held a 21-16 lead with 2:18 left in the fourth quarter before Brown broke free from multiple defenders to score on a 14-yard touchdown. Then Henry won it for the Titans in overtime with a 29-yard touchdown run.
Despite the threat of Henry, Brown, and the Tennessee offense, a vulnerable unit on the other side of the ball gives pundits confidence in a Ravens team that's peaking at the right time.
"Baltimore just keeps on winning with its style, maturing from a team that was more concerned about outsmarting the opponent and becoming one that stubbornly -- and effectively -- sticks to what it does best: Run the football," NFL.com's Nick Shook wrote. "Baltimore has proven in the last month it can and will exert its will on opposing defenses, and it's up to the opposition to stop the run and contain Jackson. No one has done it since Week 11 (Jackson missed Week 12), and it has propelled the Ravens to a great position as a wild-card team with a chance to make a deep run."
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January 04, 2021 at 09:45PM
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Late for Work 1/4: Pundits Believe Titans Are Best Matchup for Ravens - BaltimoreRavens.com
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