Ravens Need to Keep Season From Slipping Away After Deflating Loss to Titans
BALTIMORE — Ravens defensive end Derek Wolfe wasn't about to make any excuses for the team's poor performance against the Tennessee Titans.
Baltimore's defenders missed several key tackles and were bullied on the final possession in a 30-24 overtime loss that puts their postseason hopes in jeopardy.
In one instance, Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown took a screen pass from Ryan Tannehill and bulldozed his way into the end zone by shaking off potential tackles by Chuck Clark, Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey and Patrick Queen.
It's simply not the way the Ravens have traditionally played hard-nosed football.
The Ravens fell to 6-4 and perhaps need to win five of their final six games to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
"This organization has a standard," Wolfe said. "You have to stack wins. Wins come in bunches. You’ve just got to get that one win. You can’t get used to losing. That’s one thing; I know how that feels, and you can’t get used to it.”
The schedule doesn't get any easier with a showdown against undefeated Pittsburgh at Heinz Field on Thanksgiving night.
Baltimore's issues also extend to the offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been inconsistent for most of the season, but his wide receivers, particularly Hollywood Brown, are not giving him much support because of key drops.
Baltimore committed six penalties for 81 yards against Tennessee.
“We just had two losses in a row; games that we should’ve won,” Jackson said. “We had little hiccups in the game, but we still have to keep fighting through it. That team … It looked like that team wanted it more than us. They were playing physical. When we went up, I felt like we just took our foot off the gas. But we just have to keep it going for the team.”
The Titans didn't show any respect for the Ravens by gathering on their logo prior to the game. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh confronted them before the order was restored.
"[What happened] before the game is irrelevant,” Harbaugh said.
The Ravens opened a 21-10 lead before falling apart late in the game. It was. costly collapse.
After the game against the Steelers, the schedule gets much easier and the Ravens will have an opportunity to make up some ground. Baltimore closes out the year with games against Dallas (Dec. 3), at Cleveland (Dec. 14), Jacksonville (Dec. 20), New York Giants (Dec. 27), and at Cincinnati (Jan. 3).
Still, the Ravens will need to correct several weaknesses to have any type of deep playoff run.
And time is no longer on their side this season.
"We were in worse situations my rookie year, and we turned the season around," Jackson said. "People were doubting us then. I feel like people want us to lose, but we just have to bounce back. We’re good. It’s going to be a rival game come Thursday, and we’ll turn up then.”
