What Lies Ahead: The Titans in Week 11

Sunday's showdown with the Baltimore Ravens starts a stretch that is as difficult as it is important.

The Tennessee Titans have had a few extra days to get ready for what comes next.

The extended weekend following last Thursday’s loss to Indianapolis, gave coaches a chance to look at everything that has happened to this point in order to better prepare for what is to come.

“[We have] taken a look at what we've done and the things that we have been consistent at, and the things that we need to improve on, and there's a lot of those things,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think we've taken a good look at ourselves.”

Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens starts a finishing stretch in which Tennessee will play five of its final seven on the road, including this one. Four of those seven, including each of the next three, will be against teams currently in possession of a playoff spot.

No one wants to look too far ahead, though. So, here is what awaits the Titans in Week 11.

The Opponent

The Ravens are 6-3 following a 23-17 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night. They have lost two of their last three and after having scored more than 30 points in three of their first four contests, they have not scored more than 24 in any of the last three tries.

Baltimore runs the ball an average of 32.7 times per game, which is second in the NFL to New England, and is one of five teams that average better than five yards per attempt. A big part of that, of course, is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has team-highs of 90 rushes, 524 yards and an average of 5.8 yards per carry. On average, the Ravens outrush their opponents by an average of 54.3 yards per contest.

The defense leads the NFL in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game allowed and is second best on third down having allowed opponents to convert 33.6 percent of the time. That unit has forced 18 fumbles and recovered a league-high 10.

Baltimore has the NFL’s best kickoff return average at 31.0 yards, courtesy of rookie Devin Duvernay, who has averaged 31.1 yards on 11 returns and took one back 93 yards for a touchdown.

The Situation

The Titans and Ravens are among the nine AFC teams currently at 6-3 or better and both are second in their divisions. However, based on current tiebreakers, the Ravens are seventh in the conference standings and in possession of the final playoff spot. The Titans are ninth and out of postseason.

“A lot of teams are bunched up just like they were last year,” Vrabel said. “We're trying to win a game. We're trying to put our head down. We're trying to focus on continuing to improve at this point in the season, knowing that teams go in different directions.”

The Payoff

Since 2006, these teams have met in the regular season six times. In five of those years, the winner ended up in the playoffs, including 2017 when the Titans won 23-20 in Week 9 and eventually snapped an eight-year streak without a playoff appearance. Baltimore claimed the most recent encounter, a decisive 21-0 victory in 2018 and eventually won the AFC North.

Other Games to Watch

• Green Bay at Indianapolis: The Colts currently are first in the AFC South based on last week’s head-to-head victory over Tennessee. Green Bay is the top team in the NFC.

• Philadelphia at Cleveland: The Browns are the team immediately ahead of the Titans in the conference standings. This is their third game against a team from the NFC East, which is this season’s worst division, and they won the first two.

• Miami at Denver: Since rookie Tua Tagovailoa became their starter, the Dolphins have won three straight and improved to 6-3. They have won five straight overall and rank fifth in the NFL in scoring defense.

• Kansas City at Las Vegas: The Raiders currently hold the first wild card slot, and it is their 4-2 record in conference play that sets them apart. This is one of two remaining games against a team with a winning record.