The Tennessee Titans just ended the Patriots dynasty with a stunning upset, and the Baltimore Ravens better not take them lightly in the Divisional Round.
The Tennessee Titans shocked the football world on Saturday night.
They shut down the New England Patriots in their own stadium to advance to the Divisional Round to face the top team in the NFL, the 14-2 Baltimore Ravens.
On paper, this matchup looks like exactly what the Ravens hoped for by facing the lowest-ranked seed in the AFC after having a first-round bye, but they will be in serious trouble if they take this Titans team lightly next week.
The Titans were written off after starting the season 2-4, but battled all the way down to the final week to get into the playoffs. They were rewarded with a matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions and knocked off the dynasty.
After spending the first six years of his career in Miami, Ryan Tannehill has been a feel-good story since being named the starting quarterback in Week 6 for the Titans. He’s set personal bests across the board in completion percentage, quarterback rating, yards per pass, etc. He’s the reason that the Titans have been able to make it as far as they have, and they go as far as he can take them.
Derrick Henry flew under the radar all season, ended up winning the rushing title in Week 17. In New England, Henry had 34 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown. If the Ravens have one weakness that Tennessee could exploit, it’s their rush defense, giving up 4.4 rushing yards per attempt, which ranks 21st in the league.
However, even if both Tannehill and Henry are great next week, if the Titans defense cannot slow down Lamar Jackson, it won’t matter. The Titans defense was able to hold the Patriots to a single touchdown, including a scoreless second half, and only allowed 307 yards in the entire game. If they can find a way to slow down Jackson at all, the Titans will have a shot.