Quotes of Note: Ravens on Facing Titans Again
They are voices of experience.
When the Baltimore Ravens were asked in recent days about Sunday’s NFL wild card matchup with the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium, they knew exactly what they were talking about. After all, these teams met on Jan. 11, 2020 in a divisional round matchup, which the Titans won 28-12. They squared off again on Nov. 22, 2020 in a regular-season contest, which the Titans also won, 30-24 in overtime in that case.
With that in mind, here is some of what Ravens players and coaches said about the Titans this week:
• Tackle Orlando Brown, on Baltimore’s regular-season loss to Tennessee: “I think we’re a different team now than we were then. We’re a lot more resilient, we’ve got a lot of guys back healthy, and our mindset is a lot different.”
• Cornerback Marcus Peters, on last year’s playoff loss to the Titans: “It didn’t matter what team we were playing, we wanted to be in this situation, so we can go fight for a Super Bowl. That’s always the ultimate goal. As a team, you just want to give yourself a shot to fight for the ‘dance,’ and we put ourselves in a position to where we can fight. And we’ve got the team that we played last year, so it is what it is. We know what time it is.”
• Offensive coordinator Greg Roman, on last year’s playoff loss: “They did some nice things schematically, but nothing we hadn’t seen before, quite frankly. Yes, they played well. … We just turned the ball over three times in that game and gave it over on downs a couple times. So, it’s really pretty simple when you look at it.”
• Defensive tackle Brandon Williams, on the Ravens’ path to this year’s playoffs as opposed to last year’s: “I feel like we’ve been through some adversity. Obviously, we’ve had to callus-up against some things and we had to get some things right. I feel like right now is the perfect time when we’re getting into our stride. [We’re] going into Sunday with all the horses in the stable.”
• Peters, on Tennessee’s offense: “Ultimately, it starts with Derrick Henry. With a back like him, what he’s been doing over these past years is amazing, man. He’s rushed for 2,000 yards, and only a few backs have done that in the league. So, you put him up there and it stands by itself, and then you just add on to everything else that they do with the dynamic plays they have with the receivers.”
• Coach John Harbaugh on quarterback Ryan Tannehill: “He can make throws on the inside, outside, short [or] deep. He’ll throw it on the move. He’ll keep it and run and get first downs that way. So, I think he’s a big part of it. Sometimes … I hate some of the terms that get used. I think he’s much better than a lot of people have given him credit for over the years.”
• Defensive coordinator Martindale, on the Titans’ red zone offense: “This is one of the best red zone teams, offensively, that we’ve faced, and that’s because of Ryan Tannehill and what he brings to that offense. You’re talking about a quarterback who [has] guys that can play, probably, three different positions on offense. He’s a talent, and he’s athletic. Not only is it [No.] ‘22’ [Derrick Henry], it’s 17 [Tannehill].”
• Quarterback Lamar Jackson, on having lost to the Titans twice in the last year: “Our mindset is different. I feel like we did a great job in the first half of the game [in Week 11] – everyone was clicking. It was just in the second half, we didn’t finish. We just didn’t focus to keep it going. We went to overtime, but we should’ve finished the game before overtime, I feel. But it is what it is, and we’ve got another opportunity right now.”
• Tight end Mark Andrews on a dropped pass in last year’s playoff loss that became an interception: “Obviously, that play replays in my head a ton, and I’ve worked really hard this offseason to try to get back to this point, obviously, and play better and be healthy, and I am right now. So, that’s one check down, but we’ve got to go out there and finish, and that’s what this game is all about – is finishing.”
• Martindale, on Derrick Henry: “It’s the greatest challenge every play. Let’s make no mistake about it – he’s the best running back in football. He’s gone for over 2,000 yards. [Led the NFL in rushing] two years in a row. We know it. He knows it. We’re just getting ready to go for the challenge ahead on Sunday.”
• Williams, on Henry: “Obviously, he’s a strong runner. He is his own blocker. He definitely has a lot of things in a great running back, and we’re prepared to try to get to him as much as we possibly can. … We’re prepared and we’re ready to go out and have a great game on Sunday.”
• Peters, on the prospect of getting Henry’s stiff-arm: “It’s football. You approach it the same way; you have to get him on the ground. It doesn’t matter how ugly it is, [or] how beautiful it is, but you have to get him on the ground. That’s the biggest thing – we get him on the ground.”
• Martindale, on the Titans-Ravens rivalry: “I think that any game that’s a physical game is a game that people like to watch – the gladiators in the arena. So, I think those are the type of games that you’re talking about when you’re talking about rivalry games. It’s going to be a tough, hard-fought game. I remember the hit – Ray Lewis on Eddie George [during the 2000 postseason], on the one pass play where he stole the ball from him. You remember all those different things, and that’s the way these games are.”
• Harbaugh, on potential plans for a memorable pre-game locker room speech: “I don’t anticipate that being the case Sunday. I think we’re going to go in there and just try to play our best football game.”
